The impostor phenomenon is the persistent feeling of being an intellectual fraud despite evidence of competence, together with the fear of being found out.
Where it comes from
Psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes described it in 1978 after working with more than 150 high-achieving women, among them academics and respected professionals.¹ Later research found it among men as well. A 2020 systematic review of 62 studies reported prevalence rates from 9 to 82 percent, depending largely on the screening tool used.²
Where it goes wrong
It is usually called "impostor syndrome," which sounds like a diagnosis. Clance and Imes chose the word "phenomenon," and the condition appears in no clinical manual. Critics have also argued that the label can place on individuals what is partly a product of unwelcoming workplaces.³
Talent Takeaway
If you lead others, share a moment when you doubted yourself; it gives people permission. When someone credits their success to luck, walk through the specific decisions they made. Evidence is harder to wave away than praise.
¹ Clance, P. R., & Imes, S. A. (1978). The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 15(3), 241–247.
² Bravata, D. M., Watts, S. A., Keefer, A. L., Madhusudhan, D. K., Taylor, K. T., Clark, D. M., … Hagg, H. K. (2020). Prevalence, predictors, and treatment of impostor syndrome: A systematic review. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 35(4), 1252–1275. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-019-05364-1
³ Tulshyan, R., & Burey, J.-A. (2021, February 11). Stop telling women they have imposter syndrome. Harvard Business Review.
Further reading: Young, V. (2011). The secret thoughts of successful women: Why capable people suffer from the impostor syndrome and how to thrive in spite of it. Crown Business.