What is imposter syndrome?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Imposter syndrome is the feeling of self-doubt that individuals experience about their work accomplishments. They believe they don\u2019t deserve their jobs or success, or that they can never meet others\u2019 expectations. As a result, they feel like impostors or frauds at the workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also known as imposter phenomenon or imposter experience, imposter syndrome at work is quite common. In fact, a Journal of General Internal Medicine imposter<\/a> syndrome study<\/a> discovered that, while the numbers can vary, imposter syndrome affects as many as 82% of people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Carolyn<\/a> Herfurth<\/a>, a co-founder of the Impostor Syndrome Institute, whom we had the chance to speak to about the subject, despite the term \u201csyndrome\u201d, imposter syndrome is not a diagnosable disorder of any kind: <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s this belief that millions of people worldwide share \u2014 that they are not as talented, intelligent, capable, or qualified as others think they are. And, the fascinating thing about it is that these feelings exist despite all the evidence of our accomplishments \u2014 diplomas, awards, business growth, promotion.\u201d<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Here are some examples of typical behavior of a person having imposter syndrome: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Still not sure if your employees suffer from the imposter phenomenon? <\/p>\n\n\n\n The author, psychologist, and co-creator of the term impostor syndrome, Dr. Pauline Rose Clance, created an impostor test<\/a> which helps determine whether someone has it or not, and to what extent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, to recognize the symptoms right away, it\u2019s also of tremendous help to know about the different types of impostor syndrome. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Global Thought Leader on Impostor Syndrome, Dr. Valerie Young<\/a>, has defined 5 main types of impostor syndrome. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Perfectionist sets a high standard and pays plenty of attention to detail. If the outcome is not 100% successful, they go over and over the mistake they\u2019ve made, unable to let it go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a consequence, the Perfectionists are rarely satisfied with how they did something, regardless of the actual quality of the work done. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Expert constantly feels like they\u2019re one certificate away from knowing just about everything. However, this never happens, so they tend to overprepare for tasks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Employees with this type of impostor syndrome constantly feel as if they\u2019ll be perceived as incompetent. Despite working in their field and acquiring specialized skills for years, the Experts feel they are incapable of handling their job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the name suggests, the Soloist believes they should do every task on their own. Asking for help is unacceptable out of fear that others will think it\u2019s a sign of weakness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This do-it-myself<\/em> mindset often leads to undertaking too many tasks and eventually causing burnout. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Natural Genius feels like an imposter every time they cannot master something new right away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The employees with this type of impostor syndrome usually grew up praised as smart, which led to them believing that acquiring new skills was easy. For them, only finishing a task quickly and successfully is a sign of one\u2019s competence \u2014 and everything else is failure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Superhuman needs to excel in as many roles as possible, be it at work or in private life. Their self-worth is directly tied to how busy they are during the day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The employees experiencing this type of imposter syndrome feel guilty when they need to rest and take breaks. Just like Perfectionists, they\u2019ll try to be perfect at their role at work, but also a perfect friend, parent, and partner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s now take a look at what managers can do to show support for their workers experiencing this syndrome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Herfurth encourages managers to be proactive and educate their teams about imposter syndrome. It\u2019s also important for managers to educate themselves on the subject. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What happens when managers have no clue that their employees are experiencing imposter syndrome? Well, such managers can\u2019t reassure the employees that they are<\/em> doing a good job. And, employees who don\u2019t get any reassurance often end up with burnout, procrastination, or being completely dissatisfied with themselves at work, which in turn hinders their productivity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, being familiar with the signs of imposter syndrome, such as always working long hours<\/a> or avoiding challenges, can help. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When mistakes are consistently frowned upon, there\u2019s an atmosphere of fear, which is never good for productivity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Next time one of your employees makes a mistake, try not to call them out in a judgmental way \u2014 rather discuss the ways in which the mistake can be undone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In this way, productivity will not be driven by fear, and errors will be something everyone can learn from and move past. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Regular feedback, both positive and constructive, is an effective method to prevent and deal with impostor syndrome. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Feedback is especially beneficial for those who work from home, since they don\u2019t have \u201cwatercooler\u201d moments with other employees and managers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, transparent communication in 1:1 meetings and providing performance data to back up the praise can go a long way in preventing your employees from ever developing impostor syndrome. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Founder and Executive Coach, Amy Clark<\/a>, points out that team leads should let employees know that they have confidence in them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShowing your employees examples of when they have been successful will reinforce strengths and show employees that they are valued members of the team. Finally, placing them in situations where they shine will generate a feeling of accomplishment and excitement about their contributions.\u201c<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Amy elaborates that by offering employees the space to practice materials ahead of time, managers can help them overcome feelings of doubt and build confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your employees aren\u2019t aware of the term win journal<\/em>, inform them it\u2019s a simple way to keep track of all the moments when they received praise, were proud of themselves, or accomplished something big. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This can be a Google Docs document containing screenshots, diplomas, and citations of empowering messages they\u2019ve received. There\u2019s no right or wrong way to keep this type of journal \u2014 yet constantly reminding oneself of successful achievements can boost confidence and minimize self-doubt. Additionally, according to a Forbes article, keeping a win journal reduces stress<\/a> and anxiety and improves clarity and focus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Organizational Psychologist, Executive Coach, and Author, Dr. Gena Cox<\/a>, emphasizes that managers should not and cannot do anything about a team member\u2019s internal feelings. However, here\u2019s what Gena recommends team leaders do \u2014 treat all team members the same way:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cManagers must make sure that they do not create inequities by choosing favorites and make pay, promotion, and other decisions fairly. Everyone who is a logical candidate gets a chance to be considered for opportunities.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Dr. Cox also suggests that team leaders should allocate their resources and time equitably while providing stretch assignments and coaching. This helps build team members\u2019 confidence to tackle new opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When experiencing imposter syndrome, some people may find it difficult to speak freely during team meetings, out of fear of coming across as incompetent at their job. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To let their employees speak up, and thus fight the impostor phenomenon, managers should focus on improving team collaboration<\/a> and communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some ways to do so:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This way, employees will not only feel more comfortable expressing their thoughts and ideas, but also feel more valued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Further reading: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Help your employees stay focused at work by encouraging them to read this article: <\/p>\n\n\n\n When your employees feel busy, but don\u2019t actually know how productive they are, it\u2019s useful to have objective data to provide the right perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This can easily be done by using time tracking tools. Sometimes, the only thing needed for your employees to realize how much they\u2019ve achieved is to log different tasks and see how much they\u2019ve done at the end of the day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, Clockify<\/a> is a simple, straightforward tool that millions of people already use to track their tasks and time effectively. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Further reading<\/strong>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Becoming productive is a path toward building confidence and getting out of the imposter mindset. Check out how time tracking helps with enhancing productivity:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Elevate productivity with CAKE.com<\/p>\n \n Combine time tracking, team communication, and project management to boost your organization\u2019s productivity \u2014 with the CAKE.com Suite.<\/p>\n \n Studies by Gail Matthews, KPMG, and Kajabi<\/a> presented on the Imposter Syndrome Institute website show that as many as 70% of successful people reported feeling like impostors at some point in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to gender, a study conducted by Walr<\/a> found that 56% of the participants said: \u201cmen and women are suffering equally from imposter syndrome<\/em>\u201d. Other impostor syndrome studies<\/a> confirm that impostor syndrome is equally found in men and in women. <\/p>\n\n\n\n These numbers imply that having employees (regardless of their gender) without impostor syndrome is highly unlikely. That\u2019s why learning to recognize and help your employees overcome it is extremely important. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Feeling like an imposter at the very beginning of a new job or position is somewhat expected. But, even then, managers are the ones who have the power to reduce the self-doubting impact this syndrome has on everyone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, always stay on alert for those who aren\u2019t relaxed enough to give their maximum effort without it affecting their mental health. Consistency combined with the right approach will boost your team\u2019s confidence in the long run. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Learn what impostor syndrome at work is and how to deal with it successfully as a manager. We bring you experts\u2019 insights and the latest research data. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":5072,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5071","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wellbeing-at-work"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cake.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Carolyn-Herfurth-a-co-founder-of-Impostor-Syndrome-Institute-1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nHow do you know your employees have imposter syndrome?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The 5 types of impostor syndrome<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Perfectionist <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Expert<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Soloist<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Natural Genius<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Superhuman<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What can leaders do to support their employees in combating imposter syndrome?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Educate yourself and your team <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Create a mistake-tolerant environment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Provide regular feedback<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Believe in your employees<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Amy](\"https:\/\/cake.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Amy-Clark-Founder-and-Executive-Coach-at-Growth-Minded-Leadership-Group.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nAdvise your employees to keep a win journal<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Promote transparency within the team<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Dr.](\"https:\/\/cake.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Dr.-Gena-Cox-an-organizational-psychologist.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nEncourage open communication <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Give your employees the right tools to measure their success<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cake.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/time-tracker@2x.jpg\"){kind=tracking}
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![\"Elevate](\"https:\/\/cake.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/banner-productivity-suite.png\")
\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n \n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\nHow common is imposter syndrome in the workplace? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Help your team become confident <\/h2>\n\n\n\n