Navigating Imposter Syndrome
SOLD OUT: Live online workshop: Friday 30th May 2025 12:00-2:30pm (UK Time)
Places are limited to ten participants.
Overview
- An engaging, experiential and practical online workshop designed to give participants a good understanding of Imposter Syndrome plus the means to navigate their 'imposter’ experiences with greater awareness, compassion, confidence and trust, helping them experience greater personal and professional fulfilment, and contribute more of their potential.
- This highly practical workshop builds awareness and resilience in a relatively short (2.5 hour) but highly impactful session and is ideal for people who are interested in finding out more.
Learning Objectives
- Gain a sound understanding of what imposter syndrome is through an exploration of the common cognitive, psychological, emotional and physical ‘symptoms’;
- Explore the causes of Imposter Syndrome to understand why it commonly manifests as an active inner critic; low self-worth and self-confidence; limiting and debilitating beliefs; excessive self-doubt; shame and fear;
- Better understand how and when Imposter Syndrome is impacting you personally, particularly how it may be holding you back;
- Understand some of the key systemic and situational drivers of Imposter Syndrome including how it impacts different genders, racialised groups, and people from oppressed or marginalised backgrounds;
- Discover a range of practical actions and compassion-based practices you can begin using immediately to help you navigate ‘imposter’ symptoms and situations with greater skill and ease, specifically:
- Understand and work more compassionately with your inner critic;
- Identify when you are being drained by one or more of the common ‘compensatory’ behaviours of Imposter Syndrome: Perfectionism, Procrastination, Powering through; People Pleasing
- Learn how to dial these behaviours down by applying the ‘Leaderful Cs’ of Clarity, Calm, Curiosity and Compassion
- Ask questions and bring live ‘imposter’ issues questions for skilled and compassionate coaching/mentoring in a safe, courageous and supportive environment;
- Grow in personal and professional confidence.
If you have any questions about this workshop please contact me
What is Imposter Syndrome?
- Imposter Syndrome is a term coined by Oberlin psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes in the late 1970s to describe a set of debilitating thoughts, feelings and beliefs that has us feeling we are frauds, that we don’t deserve our successes and/or it’s only a matter of time before we’re “found out”.
- Research literature estimates that over 70% of us experience Imposter Syndrome in our careers and wider lives.
- Other ‘symptoms’ of Imposter Syndrome include feelings of not being good enough or capable enough, feeling unworthy, unsuccessful and/or unlikable.
- Imposter Syndrome can also manifest in unhealthy comparison, unrealistically high expectations of oneself, low self-worth, judgment of self and others, negative self-talk (an activated ‘inner critic’), self-doubt and second guessing.
- Imposter Syndrome typically engenders feelings of powerlessness, and over time, can lead or contribute to poor mental and emotional health, anxiety and depression.
- Imposter Syndrome can effect anyone however it remains particularly prevalent among women, people from non-dominant cultural backgrounds and people in oppressed, disadvantaged, marginalised and/or underrepresented groups indicating it is in part a response to systemic harm and/or oppression.
Common Imposter Syndrome 'Symptoms':
You may relate to some (or all) of these common imposter beliefs and behaviours:
- feeling you’re not ready, worthy, capable or in some other way ‘good’ enough
- feeling like you’re a ‘fraud’ and that it’s only a matter of time before you’re 'found out’
- debilitating levels of self-doubt, self-criticism or self-judgement
- low self-worth and low self-confidence
- any/all of what I term the ‘Draining P's’: People Pleasing, Perfectionism, Procrastination or Powering Through, exhausting and unsustainable ‘overcompensating’ behaviours
- undervaluing your talents and downplaying or belittling your accomplishments
- holding back in meetings, not expressing your opinions or sharing your knowledge
- fixating on negative outcomes and overcompensating by working harder, later or both
- despite positive feedback/experience, carrying a story that you’re 'winging it’
- passing up opportunities and staying ‘safe’ in roles you have outgrown or for which you are over-qualified
- feeling unfulfilled; not making the contribution you know you’re capable of
- prioritising others' needs at a cost to your own energy, needs or self-expression
- feeling you don’t belong in your role, your team or your organisation
- manifestations of the fight, flight, freeze, fawn, response (examples): tension, racing thoughts, sweaty palms, dry mouth, throat constriction, nausea, headache, physically shrinking or ‘puffing up’, aggression, a feeling of wanting to run, hide or disappear.
Who is this course for?
- Anyone and everyone suffering from any of the fear- and shame-based ‘symptoms’ of Imposter Syndrome shared above.
- Women working in currently or historically male-dominated sectors (and vice versa).
- People from non-dominant cultural backgrounds or from racialised, marginalised and otherwise oppressed groups are particularly welcome as research shows Imposter Syndrome is especially prevalent among people from these backgrounds.
- Leaders of all kinds will benefit as the course will help them understand their own ‘imposter’ experiences as well as those of the colleagues they lead, manage, mentor or coach.
- Organisations wishing to enhance staff well-being by building resilience and resourcefulness around Imposter Syndrome in the workplace.
