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But first, it is useful to have some context around self-doubt, feeling like an imposter, and what is likely to be happening psychologically when moments of doubt break over us. During the research for her book on Imposter Syndrome the author Clare Jose surveyed people on their experiences with self-doubt. One particular question in the survey examined the extent to which self-doubt had affected an individual’s performance in the past. Unsurprisingly, nearly 90% of those surveyed reported that they had experienced feelings of inadequacy or self-doubt at some point in their life. As for the 10% of respondents reporting that they had never been impacted by Imposter Syndrome… we can only wonder.
In KPMG’s 2020 Women’s Leadership Summit Report, nearly half of those surveyed felt that feelings of self-doubt arose because they had not expected to reach the level of success they had achieved professionally.
A third of people stated that they had struggled with Imposter Syndrome because their personal network did not include others in a similar situation to them either personally or professionally.
Three quarters of the professional women surveyed in the report believed that their male peers did not experience feelings of self-doubt with the same level of intensity as they had. However, 47% of the people surveyed felt that a supportive boss was the number one factor in reducing feelings of Imposter Syndrome.
While reading this you may reflect on the relationship with your boss and the quality of that relationship. You may also consider, “what type of boss am I?” to others.
If you are one of the people that has experienced self-doubt you may have asked yourself a deceptively simple question, and not received the answer you wanted. The question is made of three words and has the power to accelerate us forward into new situations and conversations, or stop us in our tracks with a thud. Am I enough?
You may notice the question suggests comparison and judgement. It has implications for one’s identity as an individual and leaves space for an unhelpful response. The interesting thing is we rarely ask ourselves this searching question when everything is going well. So, where does the question come from?
As humans we try to predict the future. Constantly. In fact, we’re hardwired to scan our environment, to scenario plan, and avoid threats that may endanger us or things that are important to us. It is this ‘threat scanning’ that sits at one end of a balancing scale. Threat in this context is a combination of the probability that something unwanted will happen and the impact of that event should it happen.
On the other side of the balancing scale is our belief that a ‘successful outcome’ is possible under the circumstances. Successful outcome can be thought of as our view of what we can cope with and the resources available to us in that moment.
On a moment-by-moment basis, often subconsciously, this balancing scale, with threat on one end and success on the other, is constantly readjusting to our perceived circumstances. When we become triggered by events it is an indication that the scale has tipped in favour of the threat. Another thing that happens in moments of significant self-doubt is that we begin to overestimate the magnitude of the threat and underestimate the likelihood of a successful outcome. This strengthens any existing feelings of foreboding.
Think back to a moment when your personal resilience was being stretched, your inner critic was screaming, and your view of the situation was dim. Chances are you made it through that period okay and, after some time had passed, the impact did not feel so acute.
The author and educator, Charles Swindoll, once stated that “Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you react to it.” While we might challenge the percentages in his statement the sentiment proves to be supported by research. Our perceptions and beliefs define us and shape our behaviour. How often do you test your reality? How often do you look back on challenging times and events for insight into how your own perceptions and beliefs contributed to any feelings of self-doubt?
Regardless of the cause it can be useful to know what is going on when our normal rational self is being hijacked by uncontrolled and sometimes unanticipated emotions and reactions. A small yet vital part of the brain has become activated. Triggered by a single event, or the culmination of events, our amygdala dumps hormones into our brain, nervous system, and muscles, as it prepares the body physically for action. This response might be to stay and fight the threat or to run from the perceived danger.
This reaction can be fast. Faster than the response of our rational brain, which leads to the hijack effect. Being in this state for extended periods can make us hypervigilant towards threats therefore creating an unhelpful and downward spiralling feedback loop over time. Now, it is easy to judge this process with disdain. To wish it was not so. Yet we can learn to love it and appreciate its purpose – which is to keep us safe.
The same can be thought of our Inner Critic. Its intent is to protect or enhance us in some way. To stop us from making mistakes. To change a behaviour that’s not helpful. To push us into aiming higher or to make us confront something we are ignoring…
Learn to make friends with your Inner Critic and appreciate its ‘why’. The voice might not be going away. As the psychologist Carl Jung said, “What you resist not only persists, but will grow in size”. Rather than wishing you had no Inner Critic and resisting what it might be saying, why not study it. Understand its methods and discover its benefit to you.