My girlfriend asked me to talk about imposter syndrome. I don’t know if she will be too happy about my take, but here we go:

Embracing Imposter Syndrome: From Discomfort to Growth

When you're stepping into new roles or attempting unfamiliar challenges, that feeling of being an imposter might just be your inner voice speaking up. But instead of trying to quiet it down, let's listen to what it's trying to tell us:

Ask yourself the following questions to asses yourself:

• Do I have proof I am proficient in the task at hand, have succeeded many times before and still feel like a fraud?

If you have done the task at hand before and done it well, you have imposter syndrome.

If you have never done it and you feel ensure, you have growing pains.

Imposter syndrome isn't just about feeling like a fraud; it's a signal that you're in the midst of growth. This discomfort is a normal part of going beyond your comfort zone. It is the reason voice that whispers, "You need to improve, to put in more hours," and that's exactly what you should do.

Remember, your brain is wired to resist change, favoring the familiar over the challenging. Recognizing this bias can help you see your feelings in a new light—not as signs of inadequacy but as markers of progress.

The Biases at Play:

Understanding our biases will help you make decisions that are more rational, while knowing about a bias won’t make you immune to it, it will help you take a step back and see the situation from a applied psychology’s perspective.

• Negativity Bias makes us fixate on criticism rather than praise.

• Attribution Errors have us believe our successes are up to luck rather than skill.

• Confirmation Bias leads us to seek out information that confirms our fear while ignoring the ones that don’t.
  

Confidence vs. Competence

Confidence without competence? That's delusion.

If you feel like an imposter, it might mean you're on the right path but need more time or effort to solidify your skills.

Ask yourself: Do I have proof that I'm proficient, have succeeded many times, yet still feel like a fraud? If not, what you're experiencing are growing pains, not imposter syndrome.

Understanding the Types

Imposter syndrome manifests in various forms:

• The Perfectionist sets the bar unrealistically high.

• The Superhero believes they must work harder than everyone else.

• The Expert feels incomplete without exhaustive knowledge.

• The Natural Genius expects instant mastery.

• The Soloist equates asking for help with incompetence.

Let’s look at two examples that you can see in real life. Consider Carla and Max, both newly promoted:

• Carla has been promoted as a manager and feels like an imposter. To deal with it, she tries to look smarter and show off the knowledge that she does not have. She struggles with her employees because she does not want them to think she is not capable. To contrast her feelings she wants to work more hours and create an environment where people are being pushed to signal that her bosses have made a great choice promoting her. That creates tension at work and indeed makes it harder for everyone, leading some of the people to leave.

• Max, on the other hand, knows he needs to learn about the role since he has just been promoted. He has a #white belt mentality and welcomes everyone into his learnings. The fact that he starts from a place of recognising his shortcomings makes everyone like him. Being honest also helps him know how he can improve his imposter syndrome.

Turning Imposter Syndrome into an Asset:

• Listen and Act: Use your inner voice as motivation to learn and improve.

• Set Realistic Goals: Understand growth takes time, not overnight success.

• Seek Feedback: Let constructive criticism guide your development.

• Document Progress: Keep a log of your successes to combat self-doubt.

• Embrace Being New: Your newness brings fresh perspectives, which is invaluable.

Feeling like an imposter isn't something to be feared but embraced as part of your journey towards mastery. It's not about eliminating these feelings but about understanding and channelling them into constructive action.

Remember, every expert was once a beginner, and every master has felt the sting of growth. So next time that imposter voice speaks up, thank it for pushing you towards becoming the best version of yourself.

stay curious, Karam x