What if imposter syndrome isn’t real?

What if there is nothing wrong with you?

What if it’s the system?

If you believe or have ever believed you have imposter syndome, watch this.

Reshma Saujani’s main points on imposter syndrome:

• 82% of women report feeling imposter syndrome.
• The first lie is that we are the problem.
• The second lie is that it is on you to make it go away or at least cover it up.
• The third lie is that imposter syndrome is inevitable.
• Fix the system.

Let’s fix the system/s

In my professional world, recruitment and talent acquisition, I regularly witness a power imbalance between managers and recruiters. Managers who refuse to partner, be respectful, or collaborate and communicate, and who (self-)sabotage the hiring process. Naively, they make it significantly harder on themselves and, worse, waste the company’s time and money.

The hiring system is broken in many organisations and this power imbalance can impact the mental health of recruiters and the poor suckers stuck in that company’s hiring process. (This was a huge part of the motivation behind my new book, Reboot Hiring.)

If a manager refuses to discuss the job specification or concede to a realistic number of must-have skills, a recruiter can be sent off on a unicorn hunt. This wasted search leads to frustration and can create self-doubt that they don’t know what they are doing. Some recruiters then believe their momentary self-doubt is “imposter syndrome” and that they are the problem.

They think they need fixing!

On the assumption that the recruiter has been taught the basics of conducting a recruitment alignment meeting and has some talent acquisition experience, it is unlikely that they are the problem.

The system – the power imbalance – is the problem.

As I teach my mentees, maintaining high self-worth, setting boundaries, and acting in the best interest of the company (and candidates), is the only way to fix the system. By creating healthy and respectful partnerships they ensure that their opinion and experience is heard and considered. This ensures they don’t start believing they are the problem and that any moments of self-doubt are fleeting.

Self-doubt or imposter syndrome

We all doubt ourselves from time to time. Ego wants to keep us small and safe, so it pops up and says, unhelpfully, things like, ‘You can’t do that!’ or ‘Who do you think you are?’ or ‘You are useless!’ when you are doing something new or outside of your comfort zone.

Ego is rarely our friend. Imagine if a friend did say that to us… 🤜🏻😳🤛🏻

Due to my childhood trauma, my ego was overdeveloped and in the driver’s seat keeping me small and afraid. However, once I healed my core wound and found self-worth, it quietened.

But don’t think I’m immune to ego’s “charms”! Right after the publication of Reboot Hiring, my new book for hiring managers and company leaders, someone suggested I create training for managers.

Ego immediately said, ‘You can’t do that!’

I started laughing because I recognised the pattern, which I learned during healing.

I silently replied, ‘You think, Ego? I just wrote an entire book on the subject!!’

Ego shut up. I am in discussions to create a course.

This is not imposter syndrome; it’s self-doubt. It is quite normal when we are doing something new or that is a stretch.

So what if you don’t have imposter syndrome, after all?