Exploring Imposter Syndrome and the Power of Vulnerability

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At work, people important to the speaker think they are more capable than they think they are.
At work, others think the speaker has more knowledge or ability than they think they do, especially in certain areas or functions.
The speaker does not believe they have received greater recognition or qualifications at work than they merit.
The core of imposter syndrome is the gap between others thinking the speaker is great and the speaker thinking they are not as great.
Imposter syndrome can be mitigated by acknowledging that the speaker doesn't have to be great at everything and surrounding themselves with a team of people who excel in different aspects.

Does anyone really know what they’re doing? How do we reward the competent and not the confident? And what’s wrong with using TikTok for research?

RESOURCES:

"Why Everyone Feels Like They’re Faking It," by Leslie Jamison (The New Yorker, 2023).
"The Impostor Phenomenon Revisited: Examining the Relationship between Workplace Impostor Thoughts and Interpersonal Effectiveness at Work," by Basima Tewfik (Academy of Management Journal, 2022).
"You’re Not an Imposter. You’re Actually Pretty Amazing," by Kess Eruteya (Harvard Business Review, 2022).
"Workplace ‘Impostor Thoughts’ May Have a Genuine Upside," by Meredith Somers (Ideas Made to Matter, 2022).
The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times, by Michelle Obama (2022).
"Prevalence, Predictors, and Treatment of Impostor Syndrome: a Systematic Review," by Dena M. Bravata, Sharon A. Watts, Autumn L. Keefer, Divya K. Madhusudhan, Katie T. Taylor, Dani M. Clark, Ross S. Nelson, Kevin O. Cokley, and Heather K. Hagg (Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2020).
"What Is Imposter Syndrome and How Can You Combat It?" by Elizabeth Cox (TED-Ed, 2018).
"Is Resilience Only Skin Deep?: Rural African Americans' Socioeconomic Status-Related Risk and Competence in Preadolescence and Psychological Adjustment and Allostatic Load at Age 19," by Gene H. Brody, Tianyi Yu, Edith Chen, Gregory Miller, Steven M. Kogan, and Steven R. H. Beach (Psychological Science, 2013).
“Emotion Generation and Emotion Regulation: One or Two Depends on Your Point of View,” by James Gross and Lisa Feldman Barrett (Emotion Review, 2011).
"Good C.E.O.’s Are Insecure (and Know It)," by Adam Bryant (The New York Times, 2010).
Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time, by Howard Schultz (1997).

EXTRAS:

"Reading Dostoevsky Behind Bars," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023).
"Can a Moonshot Approach to Mental Health Work?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023).
"Why Do We Get Angry?" by No Stupid Questions (2023).

SOURCES:

Edith Chen, professor of psychology at Northwestern University.
Pauline Rose Clance, professor emerita of psychology at Georgia State University.
Kess Eruteya, founder of InclusionZ and fellow at the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce.
Obi Felten, founder and C.E.O. of Flourish Labs.
Suzanne Ament Imes, clinical psychologist and academic researcher at Georgia State University.
Erika James, dean of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Steven Levitt, professor of economics at the University of Chicago, host of People I (Mostly) Admire, and co-author of the Freakonomics books.
Gregory Miller, professor of psychology at Northwestern University.
Michelle Obama, attorney, author, and former first lady of the United States.
Howard Schultz, former C.E.O. and chairman emeritus of Starbucks.
Basima Tewfik, professor of work and organization studies at the M.I.T. Sloan School of Management.
Eric Weiner, professor of educational foundations at Montclair State University.