Imposter Syndrome: Recognizing it and working through it

Imposter syndrome is an internal experience of doubting your abilities and feeling that you are undeserving of a role, promotion, or accomplishment. But how do you utilize it for growth and reframe it into a positive perspective that will help you be even more successful?Jessica Bicknell (Vice President of Customer Success, LinkSquares) and Diane Garcia (Head of Operations, Scratchpad) shared great insights on working through imposter syndrome and harnessing it to be useful.

There's power in the pause.

Use the discomfort and self-doubt that come with imposter syndrome to reframe them as positive and meaningful. Take a step back and consider how you can use what you feel in those uncomfortable moments to learn new things or to prepare yourself better so you are equipped to face uncertainties head-on.

What's the worst that can happen?

Don't let imposter syndrome prevent you from applying for a role, requesting a promotion, negotiating a raise, or anything else. Prepare and do your research, ask for advice and equip yourself with information -- don’t sell yourself short.

Uncover your underlying fear.

If you can pin down whatever fear is driving your imposter syndrome (failure, rejection, success, complacency, etc.), you're far more likely to grow from it. You have the skills set to overcome it -- trust yourself that you can do it and learn from anything that comes out of it.

Speak to yourself how you would a friend or a colleague.

You'll be surprised at how much you can work through on your own and how much nicer you are to yourself. Get out of your own thoughts and talk to a friend or a colleague, share your doubts, and get their perspective. Sometimes, a small pep talk is all that you need to give you that extra boost.

‍Imposter syndrome can be a powerful tool and it can be used as leverage to push you to learn and to be more confident in your abilities. Ultimately, it’s up to you how you want to use it to grow both professionally or personally.

Want to learn more? You can stream the full event recording here.

‍Thank you to all of the WISE sponsors that made this event possible and our panelists from LinkSquares and Scratchpad for sharing their time and advice.