"But we don't have Imposter Syndrome here!" is something I regularly hear from C-Suite execs. Yet behind closed doors, the signs are there: masked as overworking, silent burnout, performance issues, toxic teams, productivity problems, mistakes and lack of innovation. It’s hiding in plain sight, and it’s hurting your business and teams more than you might think.
We're about to publish the 2024 Imposter Syndrome Research Study (get the white paper here) and there's a shocking finding that proves we can't afford to keep ignoring Imposter Syndrome and hoping that it will go away:
1 in 10 of your team members will think of quitting, due to Imposter Syndrome, TODAY.
1 in 10 today. That figure rises to 1 in 4 who will consider it this week. A quarter of your workforce.
And our latest study shows that 62% of people are struggling with this daily or regularly, to an extent that is negatively impacting their performance and wellbeing.
We have to stop ignoring Imposter Syndrome.
For someone to be seriously consider quitting their job, due to something that's actually quite straightforward to tackle, is a completely unacceptable situation.
But it's exactly what I did, back in 2001. In fact, I quit the engineering career I loved.
I couldn't handle any more of the dysfunctional coping strategies that I was using to succeed despite Imposter Syndrome. And I was very successful, a fast-tracked rising star.
I couldn't handle any more of the destructive self-talk that plagued me in the darkest hour of the night, as I worried, what-iffed and catastrophised that today might be the day they found me out and realised I was a fraud.
My doctor had put me on antidepressants, to help me handle the chronic stress and anxiety that all of this was causing, but they just made things worse.
And my closest personal relationships were breaking down, as my subconscious fight-flight-freeze response routinely picked the 'fight' option, to fit in with the constant aggression and fire-fighting of our factory's culture.
I felt so alone and broken, like everyone else had their act together and I was the only one who felt this way.
So I did what so many of your team members are doing to escape from this: I took a sabbatical and studied Spanish in South America. But I never went back to engineering.
Had there been anyone I could have talked to about this at my employer, to help me to realise I could turn this around, and then to give me the tools to do so, I would still be an engineer today.
But then I wouldn't have spent the past 20+ years specialising in Imposter Syndrome, publishing three landmark research studies into it, writing two books on the topic, and creating the world's only Imposter Syndrome Master Coach training programmes.
With 1 in 10 thinking of quitting every single day, the challenge is that they never mention Imposter Syndrome in exit interviews. And even if it did, by then it's too late.
There's a huge human cost in someone quitting a job they might have loved, due to something as fixable (and preventable) as Imposter Syndrome.
And there's also a huge cost to your teams and your business.
- Recruitment is tough right now, with it routinely taking upwards of six months (plus notice periods) to fill key roles.
- That leaves your existing team members covering that work for half a year, but they were already overloaded. I've been working with clients whose happy team members are now quitting, because they can't handle the workload of all of those who have quit or gone on sabbatical / leave of absence.
- It's estimated that filling a vacancy for someone who quit costs upwards of half a year's salary, and that's if you get the right person first time, and they have a short learning curve to start performing in the role.
All Managers Need To Be Able To Spot The Imposter Syndrome Warning Signs
Being able to spot the warning signs for Imposter Syndrome and intervene as early as possible can prevent all of this. In fact, Imposter Syndrome-informed management training should be mandatory for all people leaders.
Here is a tour of the most common warning signs for Imposter Syndrome, from our latest research study, as well as some of those that are more nuanced, but vital to spot as early in the process as you can, to prevent harm.
Before we start, just in case you've been fed the myth that Imposter Syndrome is a good thing...
How To Spot 5 Top-Secret Warning Signs Of Imposter Syndrome
This podcast episode shares with you a tour of the most common signs, and then 5 that are much more subtle, but which allow you to spot earlier on that people need support.
Want to know what to do next about Imposter Syndrome in your organisation?
Make sure you've got a copy of my new book - Coaching Imposter Syndrome.
It's for line managers, HR professionals, Mental Health First-Aiders, coaches and consultants.
You can get it here:
And I strongly encourage you to tackle this problem from both ends: implement scalable in-house resources to tackle and clear Imposter Syndrome, and also address the 3 amplifiers within your organisation: the Culture, the Environment and the Habits.
Want to discuss what that might look like for your teams?
The solutions you need usually cost less than the cost of replacing just one person who quits due to Imposter Syndrome. And 10% of your team members are thinking about doing that, today.
Here's where to book a call: