It may seem counterintuitive that high-functioning, career-oriented professionals question their potential and abilities, but self-doubt spares no one. A whopping 71% of U.S. CEOs say they have imposter syndrome, according to a 2024 survey from Korn Ferry.
Imposter syndrome has been a fixture of workplace nomenclature for decades. First coined in a 1978 psychological exploration of the dynamics among high-achieving women, the phenomenon is defined as “intellectual phoniness,” or a common feeling that one’s successes weren’t legitimately or fairly earned.
While some sociologists believe high-pressure environments or a perfectionist mentality are catalysts for imposter syndrome, Qualtrics’ chief workplace psychologist Ben Granger tells Fortune it’s part of the broader Dunning-Kruger effect, a cognitive bias wherein those with limited skills overestimate their abilities, while those who excel underestimate theirs. In the workplace, entry-level employees typically begin their careers with lofty confidence despite their lack of expertise and job experience. However, as they progress to senior positions and build up their industry competence, their mindset increasingly shifts to one of self-doubt.
“Where imposter syndrome comes in is when people really start to learn more and more about the topic, and their confidence level comes down,” Granger says. “As they learn more, they’re starting to realize and see [their work] in different contexts, and say, ‘Wow, there’s a lot that I don’t know about this topic.’ And then as people gain more and more expertise, confidence gradually goes back up to the point where the person is actually an expert.”
The rationale makes sense. Once strivers reach the top, they find themselves surrounded by fellow front-runners within their companies. Some might also get board seats, an honor bestowed on the few, or receive promotions to highly visible roles overseeing large teams and making weighty decisions under pressure. This can encourage comparison, exacerbating the feeling of not being good enough. And it can be worse for women and underrepresented people who are often boxed out of those spaces, says Granger. “Being a woman in a male-dominated environment or a person of color in a majority-white environment could absolutely amplify that feeling of imposter syndrome.” However, Granger notes that most people grapple with some degree of self-doubt.
There’s also a silver lining to imposter syndrome. “It means somebody is deep enough into that knowledge area where they realize that there is a lot they don’t know,” Granger says. By their very nature, such people are likelier to venture out and gain knowledge or develop skills they feel are missing.
On the flip side, high levels of imposter syndrome can be isolating and self-sabotaging.
“People can almost wreck it for themselves in that whatever praise they get, they keep bringing it back to, ‘Well, I don’t deserve it. I’m not that good,’” Katie Wyka, a performance coach at Clio, tells Fortune. “That experience for their bosses, teammates, and colleagues starts to be really unpleasant to be around, so people start to avoid them or get really frustrated with them.”
Wyka says the resulting self-destructive behavior can take many forms depending on the degree of imposter syndrome. For some, self-doubt might be an occasional stressor, while for others, the feeling can be chronic and debilitating. High-achieving professionals may cope by procrastinating or engaging in negative self-talk. Or they might go to more extreme lengths, like pushing coworkers away or leaving their earned position altogether.
But there are ways to manage imposter syndrome. Wyka says a good first step is to speak to someone, such as a manager, colleague, therapist, or career coach. Discussing these insecurities with trusted confidantes can help workers “see that their distorted view of themselves and reality is getting in their way,” she says.
If your company provides it, she suggests joining or even starting coaching circles where colleagues speak candidly with one another about what they perceive as professional vulnerabilities. These conversations bring new peer perspectives that can help break the cycle of harmful thinking. “When you’ve got someone really struggling with self-doubt sitting beside someone who they really admire or look up to, they can talk about, ‘I struggle with self-doubt sometimes too, and here’s how I approach it. Here’s what I do, and here’s what I’m finding.’”
Whether or not one suffers from imposter syndrome, Wkya suggests that career-oriented people seek counsel from their boss or other higher-ups they respect.
“If you’re going to be a high-performer, then you better have high supports that go along with that,” she says.
