Do I have Imposter Syndrome

Recognising the signs, science and imposter syndrome tips for sustainable confidence at work.

Understanding Imposter Syndrome

If you’ve ever asked yourself, ‘Do I have imposter Syndrome?’ you’re in the right place. First described by psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes (1978), imposter syndrome (or impostor phenomenon) describes the persistent belief that your success is undeserved — that you’ve somehow “faked” competence and will soon be found out. We’ll share some of the most effective imposter syndrome tips and strategies that you can begin using immediately.

Despite external evidence of achievement, people with imposter thoughts struggle to internalise success. They attribute accomplishments to luck, timing, or others’ overestimation rather than their own ability.

Research suggests up to 70% of professionals will experience imposter feelings at some point in their career (Bravata et al., 2020). It’s common among high achievers, leaders, and professionals navigating transitions or under-representation in their field.

It’s important to remember: imposter syndrome is not a clinical disorder. It’s a learned pattern of thinking that can be reframed — and it often arises in high-performing, conscientious individuals who hold themselves to very high standards.

Do Any of These Sound Familiar?

You might be experiencing imposter thoughts if you:

• Dismiss achievements as luck or timing rather than skill.
• Fear that others will “find out” you’re not as capable as they think.
• Overwork or overprepare to prove your worth.
• Downplay praise or positive feedback.
• Feel anxiety or guilt when you succeed.
• Avoid new challenges for fear of failure.
• Experience burnout or perfectionism driven by self-doubt.

Recent studies show strong links between imposter thoughts, perfectionism and burnout (Chrousos et al., 2020). For leaders, these patterns can quietly influence confidence, communication, and culture.

The Leadership and Performance Impact

At Koru Development, we often see imposter syndrome surface at key performance inflection points: promotion, visibility, or change.
Left unaddressed, it can limit both personal growth and team performance:

• Talent underuse: Capable people hold back from applying for new opportunities or speaking up.
• Burnout risk: Overcompensation and chronic self-doubt erode energy and wellbeing.
• Leadership authenticity: Doubt undermines confidence in communication and decision-making.
• Team culture: When leaders mask self-doubt, teams sense it — affecting trust and psychological safety.

However, research by Tewfik (MIT Sloan, 2022) found that when managed well, imposter thoughts can increase empathy, preparation and collaboration.
In other words: awareness of your imposter patterns can become a performance advantage — when reframed through a growth mindset.

Imposter Syndrome Tips That Help

1. Normalise it — You’re in excellent company. Many high achievers, from CEOs to academics, experience imposter feelings. Talking about it reduces stigma and isolation.
2. Track your triggers — Notice when imposter thoughts arise. Is it before visibility, feedback, or new challenges? Awareness is the first step to change.
3. Reframe failure — Use a growth mindset approach (Dweck): mistakes aren’t evidence of inadequacy; they’re information for improvement.
4. Gather the evidence — Keep an “achievement log” of feedback, outcomes and wins. When self-doubt strikes, review it.
5. Set realistic standards — Replace “perfect” with “effective.” Sustainable performance thrives on balance, not pressure.
6. Invest in feedback — Constructive, behaviour-based feedback (not vague praise) reduces uncertainty and builds grounded confidence.
7. Build psychological safety — As a leader, model vulnerability and learning. When you show it’s safe to talk about doubt, your team grows too.
8. Seek support — Coaching, mentoring or structured programmes can help rewire the habits of self-doubt into resilient self-belief.

How Koru Can Help

At Koru Development, we’ve spent over 20 years working with Fortune 100s, universities, NGOs and organisations around the world, helping individuals and teams translate insight into sustainable high performance.

Our Imposter Syndrome Workshop helps leaders and professionals:

• Understand the psychology behind imposter thoughts.
• Recognise personal triggers and reframe inner narratives.
• Apply practical cognitive and emotional tools for confidence and authenticity.
• Build psychologically safe team cultures where learning replaces fear.
• Take away practical imposter syndrome tips that you can implement immediately.

Discover more about our courses here. All workshops are bespoke to your organisation, shaped around the real challenges your teams face. Participants receive practical toolkits, reflective resources and post-training support to sustain change.

Final Thought

Feeling like a fraud doesn’t mean you are one.
It means you’re growing — stretching beyond your comfort zone, doing something new or meaningful.

At Koru, we help you align your inner confidence with your outer capability — so you can perform, lead and live with authenticity, purpose and impact.

References

• Bravata D.M., Watts S.A. et al. (2020). Prevalence, Predictors, and Treatment of Impostor Syndrome: A Systematic Review. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 35(4): 1252-1275.
• Chrousos G.P., Mentis A.A., Dardiotis E. (2020). Focusing on the Neuro-Psycho-Biological and Evolutionary Underpinnings of the Imposter Syndrome. Frontiers in Psychology, 11: 1553.
• Feenstra S., Begeny C.T., Ryan M.K., et al. (2020). Contextualizing the Impostor “Syndrome”. Frontiers in Psychology, 11: 575024.
• Tewfik B.A. (2022). The Impostor Phenomenon Revisited: Workplace Impostor Thoughts and Interpersonal Effectiveness. MIT Sloan Research.