A stressed man feels like he doesn't belong. He lays on the floor with his hand on his head and glasses to the side.Photo byJavier ki via Shutterstock

Do you deserve your fancy job title, corner office, and high salary?

You probably do, but if you’re anything like me, you have an inner voice whispering nasty ideas saying you don’t.

Imposter system is real and may affect up to 92% of the population.

What is Imposter Syndrome?

Imposter syndrome makes people feel like they don’t belong. It’s those lingering feelings of self-doubt that you don’t deserve your success despite everything you've accomplished.

You have an inner conflict with who and where you are, feeling insecurity rather than pride for your accomplishments. The conflict fills you with doubt, and you believe you’ve made it so far due to sheer luck rather than your own merit.

The lack of confidence leads to anxiety as you tread cautiously, terrified that they’ll eventually catch on to the dirty little secret that you’re a fraud.

Different Types of Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome manifests itself in six different ways.

• Perfectionist
• Natural Genius
• Expert
• Super Hero
• Soloist
• Shape-shifter

If you feel like a fraud, you’ll probably recognize yourself in one of these six manifestations.

The Perfectionist

Perfectionists need everything to be perfect.

People who struggle with this form of imposter system may find it difficult to delegate, set unrealistic goals, or spend too much time planning.

When you delegate, you give up control of a project. You can’t force someone else to complete it to your standards, and you’re terrified of what might happen if it isn’t perfect.

Your perfectionism forces you to set outrageous goals and standards for yourself, as you must constantly prove you’re the best. Unfortunately, you’ll likely fail at these goals, as they’d be achievable for anyone. Many perfectionists self-sabotage this way - they set themselves up for failure because they don’t think they deserve success.

Although every project needs planning, perfectionists may find themselves unable to execute. The plan needs to be perfect before they can take any action. Their imposter syndrome leads them to decision gridlock. They need the plan to be perfect, but perfection doesn’t exist; thus, they never act.

The Natural Genius

The natural genius is the smart kid.

They never had to try in school. Everything came naturally.

But that was then.

Schools teach to the lowest common denominator. Smart kids breeze through, never learning crucial habits like practice or studying. Parents and teachers praise them for their intelligence, and they build their identities around their natural abilities.

When they enter the real world, they hit a wall. They don’t know how to try. If something they don’t understand pops up, they freeze in terror, unable to manage.

People with this type of imposter syndrome were straight-A students. They were told they could do anything they wanted.

However, since their identities are based on their natural abilities, even the smallest setbacks cause anxiety. They avoid challenges because a failure would destroy their entire worldview.

The Expert

Experts build their self-worth around how much they know. As a result, they may feel exposed or inadequate if they let the truth that they don’t understand something slip out.

People experiencing this type of imposter syndrome may seek continuous education at the detriment of on-the-job learning. They may not even apply for opportunities if they don’t think they meet 100% of the criteria, which is almost an impossible standard for most positions.

The Superhero

The Superhero doesn’t feel like they are as good as their colleagues, so they will go above and beyond to prevent that “truth” from slipping out.

People experiencing this type of imposter syndrome may stay at work later than everyone else and always be searching for something to do to fill their time. They may also sacrifice any time for hobbies or relaxation to focus on work tasks, which helps them maintain the narrative that they can do it all.

The Soloist

The soloist needs to prove that they can do anything by themselves.

People struggling with this type of imposter syndrome feel that asking for help is a sign of weakness. Needing help means they’re a failure.

It goes far beyond a preference for working alone. Soloists have a deep-seated need to show the world that they are competent without anyone else’s help.

Unfortunately, that need comes at a steep cost, as humans do their best work while collaborating.

The Shape-Shifter

Shape-shifters feel so self-conscious of their true selves that they hide, copying everyone else so nobody can really see them.

They become whoever they need to be to fit in, suddenly become fans of whatever sport, idle, or television show their boss likes to feel worthy of their time. Shape-shifters meld themselves to what they think others expect them to be.

Those struggling with this form of imposter syndrome may lack faith in their own identity. Some may not even know who they are anymore because they’re constantly changing to be everything to everyone.

What Does Imposter Syndrome Feel Like?

Imposter syndrome feels different depending on your type, but all have one significant commonality.

You don’t feel good enough. You feel inadequate like you don’t deserve what you have and don’t belong where you are.

I’m a Natural Genius. Although I never got straight A’s on my report card, I was always told how smart and capable I was, and I felt like I was held to a higher standard than my siblings. I don’t apply for new jobs unless I’m reasonably sure I can get them, and I get anxious at just the thought of having made a mistake at work.

It feels like my entire world is crashing down because I made a small typo or forgot to do something I should’ve done. It’s gotten so bad that I often freeze up and don’t do anything because I’m terrified of making a mistake and being found out for the impostor that I am.

My imposter syndrome bleeds over to my blogging life as well. I’ve been afraid to write certain posts because what if I don’t have all the correct information? What if I make a typo that everyone sees? (It’s happened, and usually, someone graciously sends me a DM on Twitter letting me know about it. So it's not the end of the world, I guess.)

It also affects my social media game. Some people have no problem posting whatever they want on whatever platform, but I can’t do it. I think long and hard about posting something, and often, I don’t engage with others because I don’t feel like I have anything valuable to add.

What if I respond stupidly, or someone argues with me?

Will the entire Twitter universe see me for the fraud that I am?

How Do You Deal with Imposter Syndrome?

Imposter syndrome can wreak havoc on your life. It can lead to high levels of stress, overwork, and self-sabotage.

Here are some tips for battling it.

Compassionate Self Talk

Examine the way you talk to yourself. Are you constantly criticizing your work and telling yourself you’re no good?

It’s time for a change.

Stop being so hard on yourself. When you engage in negative self-talk, flip the script and say something nice to yourself instead. It will be a massive challenge at first, but over time, you’ll find that you have fewer bad things and far more good things to say to yourself.

Review Your Strengths

We’re all blessed with unique gifts and abilities. Although some come naturally, we’ve worked hard to cultivate most of them.

Take time to appreciate them. Write down five things you’re good at or like about yourself. Celebrate yourself.

The more you focus on the good things about yourself, the more you’ll realize how hard you’ve been on yourself.

Give Yourself Grace

Imagine a friend came to you after making the same mistake you just made. What would you say to them?

Would you offer them kind words and grace, explaining they are human and are allowed to make mistakes?

Why don’t you offer yourself that same grace?

Fact vs. Opinion

Imposter syndrome fills our heads with untrue opinions about ourselves. We can defeat it by leaning into the truth.

When that ugly voice starts whispering that you’re not good enough, strike it down with facts. You got the job, slayed that presentation, and earned that award.

Try Things

Sometimes, imposter syndrome makes us freeze. We refuse to try things for fear of failure.

Shut down that inner critic by trying all the things. Put yourself out there. Attempt challenges you don’t think you can overcome, knowing that the win isn’t defeating it, but learning about yourself.

The more you try, the more confidence you will have in yourself.

Talk with Trusted Friends and Mentors

When you’re struggling with imposter syndrome, your own mind is the enemy. You need help from outside of yourself.

Friends and mentors can offer a clearer perspective of what’s going on. Talk to the people you trust about your insecurities. Good friends can help you see your strengths.

Rethink Failure

It's time to rethink our relationship with failure. We’re so scared of it that we never try anything.

Failure isn’t bad. It’s a necessary part of life that helps us learn and grow. The more we fail, the better we become.

Reframe your failures as lessons. Think about how much you learned each time you didn’t win. Those experiences made you who you are.

Use a Workbook

In 2020, Lisa Orbe-Austin published an epic workbook designed to help people struggling with imposter syndrome.

Own Your Greatness will help you identify why you feel like an imposter and guide you toward finding your natural strengths.

You Can Overcome Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome limits our success, but you can overcome it.

Start here.

Share your failures and what you learned from them. Also, share your biggest struggles with imposter syndrome so we can help you overcome it.

And for those of you who defeated it - share your secrets! We can all learn from each other and become stronger.

This article was produced and syndicated by Partners in Fire.