Exploring Imposter Syndrome
Imposter syndrome is a psychological behaviour where individuals, including many high achievers, struggle with persistent feelings of self-doubt, inadequacy, or the fear of being exposed as a fraud. Despite their achievements, those experiencing imposter syndrome believe they are undeserving of their success or worry that they’ve misled others into overestimating their abilities.
As a content creator, author and trainer, I meet people suffering from imposter syndrome every day. They often disguise their symptoms by telling me they are unable or unwilling to perform tasks that will help them raise their profile and become more successful in whatever they do because of a lack of time or other resources. In reality, they are scared to raise their head above the parapet and shout, “I have an opinion,” because they fear what other people will think of them. This phenomenon is particularly true in small, tight-knit communities like Gibraltar, where everybody knows everybody else.
The good news is that while there may not be a cure for imposter syndrome, you can take steps to alleviate the problem.
Imposter Syndrome made me a writer
A little over 12 years ago, I was speaking at a marketing event about the opportunities available to business owners who were able to position themselves as thought leaders in their respective industries by creating and publishing relevant, timely, and engaging content.
At the end of my session, I was approached by a delegate who found my presentation illuminating but doubted it would work for her. She asked me why anyone would be interested in or believe anything she had to say. It turned out she had a lot to say and the credibility to back it up. With more than 20 years of experience in her industry, she knew not only her products inside out but also everything about her competitors, and she had walked more than a few miles in her customers’ shoes. She was more than qualified to call herself a thought leader, and fear was the only thing holding her back. She was suffering from a severe bout of imposter syndrome.
I took her experience and wrote a short article entitled “Believe in yourself, you’re a thought leader,” which was published on the blog of the marketing company I was working for at the time. The blog clearly resonated with a large audience and quickly went viral, generating tens of thousands of views and countless social media engagements. The success of that blog post provided me with a much-needed confidence boost.
I’d been harbouring an ambition to write a book for a long time. I just didn’t know what that book would be about. Realising I’d hit a deep vein of content with that short blog post, I set about expanding on the topic and turned it into a much more detailed manuscript, which I intended to self-publish. Fate had other ideas for that book. After randomly meeting a publisher at another event, I landed a book deal, and my first book, Becoming THE Expert: Enhancing Your Business Reputation through Thought Leadership Marketing, was published.
That little book took me around the world. I’ve been fortunate enough to speak on the topic of thought leadership marketing everywhere from San Diego to Istanbul and everywhere in between, including numerous presentations and workshops, including my regular Content Marketing Bootcamps here in Gibraltar.
Five books and hundreds of events later, you’d be forgiven for thinking I was a pretty confident public speaker. And yet, whether I’m speaking to a handful of delegates in a training room or a theatre full of attendees at a larger conference, I’m often gripped by pre-event anxiety and find myself catastrophising every potential negative outcome. The fact is, I also suffer from imposter syndrome. I think we all do.
Don’t fret about failure
It’s inevitable that sometimes things don’t quite go to plan. I’ve delivered hundreds of training events and presentations, and while some have been better than others, I can honestly say that only one event was a complete failure. I was ill and in hindsight I should have cancelled the event. My fear of letting people down, ultimately led to me letting people down. I apologised, refunded my delegates, and tried to move on.
Over the years, I’ve learned that people are very forgiving if you treat people right and own your mistakes. However, a symptom of imposter syndrome will guarantee that you only ever focus on those negative experiences and not your previous successes. In such cases, my best advice is to give yourself a shake and continue to put your best foot forward. Good luck – you’ve got this!
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