The Imposter Syndrome

Even the most competent and experienced employees can walk around with a nagging doubt: “What if I'm really not as good as they think?” or “Soon they'll find out I don't belong here.” This inner turmoil has a name: imposter syndrome — or impostor syndrome in Norwegian.

This is not a disease, but a widespread psychological pattern that affects many high-performing individuals in various industries and roles.

What is imposter syndrome?

The term was first described by psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes in 1978, who observed that many high-achieving women felt like “impostors” despite objective success. Since then, research has shown that the phenomenon also affects men and people across cultures and work environments.

“Imposter syndrome is a psychological pattern in which individuals doubt their accomplishments and have a persistent fear of being exposed as a 'fraud', despite evidence of their competence.” (Clance & Imes, 1978)

Common characteristics include:

• Self-criticism and perfectionism
• Fear of being 'outed'
• Difficulty accepting praise or recognition
• A persistent feeling of not deserving their role or success

Why does it occur?

Imposter syndrome is often associated with perfectionism and high inner demands, transitional phases such as new roles or environments, and cultural and social factors such as minority status or lack of belonging.

Research points out that environments with high competitive and performance pressures and little support or feedback can reinforce the feeling of being “someone who doesn't really belong” (Bravata et al., 2020).

What should managers pay attention to?

For managers, it is important to know that imposter syndrome often affects employees who outwardly appear confident, ambitious and competent — it can therefore be easy to overlook.

Signs to pay attention to:

• Extreme self-criticism and concern for details
• Employees who underestimate their own efforts and refuse new challenges
• Reluctance to share ideas or take a place in the group

The concept of psychological reassurance is central here: When employees find it safe to ask questions, admit mistakes, and ask for help, the risk of imposter syndrome decreases (Edmondson, 1999).

What can the individual and their leaders do?

Measures for employees:

Talk about it. Being open can break stigma and make it easier to get support.

Seek objective feedback. Studies show that judgments from others are often more realistic than their own thoughts (Cokley et al., 2013).

Accept learning and mistakes. Recognizing failure as a natural part of development promotes coping beliefs (Sverdlik et al., 2020).

Actions for managers:

Build psychological security. Create a climate where it is safe to be insecure and ask questions.

Provide regular, concrete feedback. Specific feedback helps employees adjust their self-image.

Normalize learning. Clarify that it is perfectly normal to need time to master new roles and tasks.

Share your own experiences. When leaders tell of their own insecurities or learning journey, it helps lower the threshold for others.

Reflection questions

For employees:

Are my demands on myself higher than what I would expect from a colleague in the same situation?

What do I attribute to my own success — luck, help from others, or my own expertise and effort?

For leaders:

How do we allow employees to show uncertainty and ask for help without losing their reputation?

How do we convey that learning and development are valued — not just perfection?

For reflection

Imposter syndrome is not about weakness or lack of competence — on the contrary: it often affects the most committed and competent employees. When we as colleagues and leaders understand this better, we can create more inclusive and supportive work environments where everyone has the opportunity to grow — without being burdened by unnecessary inner doubts.

References

Clance, P. R., & Imes, S. A. (1978). The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 15 (3), 241—247.

Bravata, D.M., et al. (2020). Prevalence, Predictors, and Treatment of Impostor Syndrome: A Systematic Review. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 35 (4), 1252—1275.

Cokley, K., et al. (2013). The impostor phenomenon among African American students: The role of racial identity and gender. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 60 (4), 582—589.

Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44 (2), 350—383.

Sverdlik, A., et al. (2020). The impostor phenomenon: A review and recommendations for future research. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 44 (2), 98—110.

American Psychological Association: Feel like a fraud? Understanding the imposter phenomenon.

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