Apparently, if I asked this question in a room full of one-hundred people, seventy of you would stand up.1 And if I were in the room with you a couple of years ago I would have stood up with you. You might be shocked to learn that even some of the most well-respected people in the world grapple with Imposter Syndrome. According to research, Imposter Syndrome is characterized by "...high-achieving individuals who, despite their objective successes, fail to internalize their accomplishments and have persistent self-doubt and fear of being exposed as a fraud or impostor."2 The civil rights activist, author, poet and Nobel Laureate Maya Angelou admitted that at times, she often felt like an imposter, once saying, "I have written 11 books, but each time I think, 'uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out.'"
My experience is that identifying with purpose drives a stake right through Imposter Syndrome. I often felt like an imposter throughout my 25+ year career in management consulting even though I was outwardly successful. It was difficult for me to pinpoint why this was the case. I was in a field characterized by strategy, analysis, and problem solving, interests and skills that seemed to fit well with me. As I look back on this period of time, I am convinced that the source of my Imposter Syndrome had little do with any sort of deficiency in skills but had more to do with a core value that was not being met. In other words, my experiences and conditioning narrowed my field of vision to that which I knew and prevented me from being able to see unmet needs. It wasn't until someone suggested that I might be more of a "healing type" that I was able to see through my limiting beliefs. Realizing that helping people was an important part of who I am marked a pivotal moment in my quest for purpose. If you are plagued by thoughts of being an imposter perhaps this is your wake-up call to embark on your own purpose journey. It may be a decision that changes the trajectory of your life. It certainly changed mine.
1Sakulku, J. (1). The Impostor Phenomenon. The Journal of Behavioral Science, 6(1), 75-97. https://doi.org/10.14456/ijbs.2011.6
2 Bravata, D. M., Watts, S. A., Keefer, A. L., Madhusudhan, D. K., Taylor, K. T., Clark, D. M., Nelson, R. S., Cokley, K. O., & Hagg, H. K. (2019). Prevalence, Predictors, and Treatment of Impostor Syndrome: a Systematic Review. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 35(4), 1252–1275. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-019-05364-1