Mind The (Confidence) Gap

If you often have the self-perception that you don’t measure up at work, you have imposter syndrome. Here's how you can overcome it, according to high-achieving women and experts.

- Elizabeth Liew

The term “imposter syndrome” (IS) was first coined in 1978, but this psychological phenomenon of crippling selfdoubt permeates workplaces even today – particularly among women professionals. In fact, a 2020 KPMG study reported that 75 per cent of female executives admitted to having personally experienced IS at certain points in their career, while 81 per cent believed that they put more pressure on themselves not to fail than men do.

“IS generally shows up when people cannot seem to internalise their competence, even though there is external validation of their success,” explains Lai Han Sam, better known as Sam, a women’s life coach and founder of Lifework Global. “These feelings of inadequacy are persistent, and are coupled with self talk that minimises their accomplishments.”

While it is natural to occasionally second-guess yourself or face insecurities at work, individuals who experience IS tend to feel more acutely that their achievements are undeserved, or that someone else is better qualified for the job.

When Shireena Shroff Manchharam started working as a consultant and trainer for banks and financial institutions, she recalls experiencing plenty of fear and self-doubt. “I didn’t have a masters or a PHD, nor did I go to a college as prestigious as London Business School. They would look at me and think, ‘You’re not a banker, so how would you be able to help me’?” shares the founder and principal consultant of Sheens Image Consulting, who also talked about IS in an episode of our podcast Her World Pow Wow*. “Imposter syndrome happened when I felt like I didn’t know if I could do something as well as somebody else, or when I didn’t know if I could even help my clients.”