What is imposter syndrome?

We learned that Imposter syndrome is a psychological phenomenon which causes capable people to doubt themselves. Its three hallmarks are feeling like an intellectual fraud, attributing success to luck rather than ability, and living with a persistent fear of being exposed.

Imposter syndrome is also paradoxical. The more you achieve, the more exposed you may feel.

Sophie shared that “Imposter syndrome is not a sign that you don't belong. It is often a sign that you care, that you are growing and that you are in good company.”

The imposter cycle

Understanding why imposter syndrome persists is the first step to breaking it. Sophie walked us through the classic imposter cycle: when faced with an achievement-related task, anxiety and self-doubt kick in, leading either to frantic over-preparation or procrastination. Either way, when the task is completed, any positive feedback gets discounted — attributed to luck or hard work rather than genuine ability — which feeds back into increased self-doubt for the next challenge.

Know your type

Sophie introduced Dr Valerie Young's five imposter types to help identify the specific flavour of self-doubt you experience. The Perfectionist is never satisfied and struggles to delegate. The Expert never feels ready enough to act. The Soloist refuses help to prove their capability. The Natural Genius avoids challenges where they might struggle. The Superhuman overworks to justify their place. Recognising your pattern is the first step to changing it.

From imposter to leader: key strategies

Sophie's session was solutions focused. The strategies that resonated most with the group:

• Reframe your inner critic – thoughts are not facts; test the evidence.
• Create an evidence bank – document past successes and revisit them.
• Use an alter ego – ask how your most confident self would show up.
• Adopt a growth mindset – drawing on Carol Dweck’s research, embrace challenge as the path to development.
• Choose courage over confidence – act despite uncertainty.

Many students rated Sophie’s session as one of their top activities of MBA Careers Week.

What I gained from the sessions is that beyond just recognising the problem, it delved into effective strategies to combat it, emphasising the power of manifestation. A key takeaway was learning the superman power pose as a self-assurance technique, providing a tangible tool to tackle self-doubt.
Teresa Gomes, Full Time MBA