Power Bite: 4 Steps to Beat Imposter Syndrome in a New Role

You’ve started a new role. To an outsider, you’re successful – and yet, you don’t feel it. Instead of feeling pride and joy, you feel Imposter Syndrome creeping up, like there’s been a terrible mistake and you don’t actually belong.

Firstly, know that you’re not alone. This syndrome plagues even the most accomplished individuals – from award-winning actress Meryl Streep to renowned physicist Albert Einstein. It afflicts people of all genders. It often surfaces in moments of change, in new situations you feel you don’t have control over. Here are four steps you can take to mitigate feelings of self-doubt when they come up.

Breathe

Even if you’re skeptical of this step, give it a go – it won’t take more than a minute. Stacy McCarthy, former Regional Director APAC at The Boeing Company, acknowledges that her advice to focus on breathing might seem out of place in the context of work.

But the fact is: you’re in fear mode when Imposter Syndrome takes hold. Give yourself the chance to get out of this before working on any solution. You’d be amazed what a difference taking 3 to 10 deep breaths can make.

Name That Feeling

Neuroscience studies have shown that giving your emotions a name lessens how intensely you experience it, and how it impacts you. Getting specific about what you’re actually feeling helps you get in a more rational frame of mind. This way, you may better assess and manage situations where Imposter Syndrome sets in.

Say you’re surrounded by incredibly smart and accomplished colleagues in your new role and are feeling like you don’t belong. Pause and break this down. Are you anxious? Afraid? Envious? Once you’ve named it, you’re more likely to acknowledge the distorted reality you perceive – that everyone but you is exceptional.

But are they really only exceptional? Dr KC Lee, Chartered Psychologist, highlights that most people tend to be in tune with their insecurities. But is it realistic to assume that others, even highly accomplished experts in their field, don’t have struggles or insecurities of their own?

By naming your feelings, and putting yourself in a different frame of mind, you become more aware of reality as it actually is. In this example, you’re able to recognise the distorted view you have of the world and acknowledge the realities others may also be facing.

If that isn’t enough, consider this: the exceptional people have let you into their ‘club’ – what does that say about you?

Separate Facts From Fictional Fears

The reasons behind your feelings of being an imposter are currently unknown – so clarify them. Stacy McCarthy, recommends consciously asking yourself: What is fact? What is a feeling? 

If you’re new to a team, and feel like the decision to hire you was not the right one because you’re fumbling through tasks you should have completed three hours ago, pause. Is this notion you’re relatively inefficient a fact? Have you bothered to time yourself? Did you check with your seemingly efficient colleagues for their feedback, to learn how long they usually take? 

In the event it is a fact, use this opportunity to learn from your colleagues and grow. And if it turns out to be an irrational fear, acknowledge it. Recognise that your feeling of not being good enough is simply that – a feeling.

To help you work through this, McCarthy suggests using a journal to make the distinction. Or finding someone to be your thought partner who would talk you through your muddled emotions. It helps if this partner isn’t actually a friend. Their role isn’t to cheer you on, but to help you get honest with what you’re really feeling.

Make A Plan

Even if it’s imperfect, and even if the outcome of these plans remain uncertain, Stacy McCarthy has seen how the physical act of making a plan can help in several ways. Firstly, having a plan helps you to feel a little more in control. Also, you now have something tangible to focus on, and something to move towards instead of feeling inadequate.

Let’s say you’ve been tasked to lead a project. As that reality sinks in, you start to feel increasingly unqualified to proceed. Go through the steps listed above. And after separating the facts, let’s say you see that your fears ominously include ‘project fails’ and ‘unable to motivate the team’.

Make a plan to unpack each fear. For example, with ‘project fails’, define what success looks like. Dr KC Lee shares that it’s important to define what ‘good enough’ looks like. If not, chances are you’ll wind up in a never-ending chase for perfection.

Additionally, Prerna Suri, VP, Communications, Asia & Middle East at Sony Music Entertainment, suggests practicing being kind to yourself and being realistic about what you can achieve. In the absence of perfect standards, mistakes aren’t unforgivable failures. Instead, they’re part of your journey to learn and improve on to make the project a success.

For ‘unable to motivate the team’, consider Suri’s advice to stop focusing on the future. Instead, consider the present and all you have to be grateful for. This could include previous bosses that may have inspired you, or showed you what not to do. This could also include your professional achievements to date that may include managing smaller teams. Map out what could prevent you from motivating the team, and draw on your experiences to create a solution.