Article: 5 videos to watch to understand Impostor Syndrome and how to fight it
Article: 5 videos to watch to understand Impostor Syndrome and how to fight it
“I’ve run a game on everyone, and they’re going to find me out,” said Maya Angelou, one of the most acclaimed writers and activists of our times.
Albert Einstein, a genius by every measure of the word, considered himself an ‘Involuntary swindler’ whose work ‘did not deserve as much attention as it had received’.
Impostor Syndrome, impostor phenomenon, imposter experience. Whatever you decide to call it, 70% of us experience the reinforced belief that we’re not good enough.
The prevalence of insecurity is increased amongst entrepreneurs, whose very identity and work are normally intricately entwined. In addition to this, individuals who are highly skilled and high achieving have a tendency to think others are just as skilled as them, and this spirals into fears that they are undeserving.
Though Impostor Syndrome is not recognised as a mental health issue, it does in turn burden our mental wellbeing, by inducing anxiety, depression and low self-esteem.
We’ve collated five videos, by entrepreneurs and psychologists, which examine Impostor Syndrome and how to combat it:
1 - Elizabeth Cox: What is Impostor Syndrome and how can you combat it?
This short animation is a powerful introduction to what we know about Impostor Syndrome and its prevalence globally.
Our takeaway from this video? That the best way to start to combat Impostor Syndrome is to talk about it!
2 - TIME: How to deal with Impostor Syndrome
Unsurprisingly, members of disadvantaged communities experience Impostor Syndrome more often. People feel more confident with people who look and sound like them. So when there are fewer people who look or sound like you, it can have an impact on your confidence. This is a takeaway for leaders who are building businesses: to consider the teams that you are creating - diversity is critical to creating an environment where everyone is able to thrive.
This brief video shares a few tools on how to manage feelings of Impostor Syndrome, and is accompanied by a great article highlighting what studies have shown us to date on the topic.
3 - Forbes: 9 things people with Impostor Syndrome do
This video interviews Amy Morin, a psychotherapist and the author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do. A great article to scroll through to see if any of the nine traits resonate with you, but also, importantly, Amy introduces mental resilience and exercising mental health as a tool to combat feelings of Imposter Syndrome.
4 - Mike Cannon-Brookes: Harness those feelings
Mike Cannon-Brookes, co-founder of software company Atlassian, opens up about his experiences as a successful entrepreneur who constantly feels like an impostor, but has learnt how to channel the energy to propel him.
“People think that successful people don't feel like frauds, but I think, especially knowing a lot of entrepreneurs, the opposite is more likely to be true.”
5 - Lou Solomon: The surprising solution to the Imposter Syndrome
A slightly longer watch but nevertheless powerful, Lou Solomon, CEO, author and communications expert shares her battle with Imposter Syndrome and her solution to freeing yourself from the impostor mindset.
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