Imposter syndrome is a pervasive issue that can be found predominantly in high achieving individuals, women, and individuals of different racial and religious backgrounds who are underrepresented in their fields. This feeling can come from a lack of self-worth that makes individuals believe they haven’t earned the success they’ve achieved. When left unchecked, imposter syndrome has the potential to wreak havoc on organizations by shrinking the science pipeline and preventing top talent from rising. Organizations must take pro-active measures to ensure imposter syndrome doesn’t have a role in limiting female and non-white professionals from advancing towards success. Only then will the science pipeline be safe from negative impacts imposter syndrome’s deep-seated power can create.
Create a Positive Relationship With Yourself: Combat Negative Self Talk & Improve Performance

Imposter Syndrome is a growing issue for many people, particularly women, that affects self worth and leads to negative self-talk. It displays itself in feelings of restlessness, nervousness and doubt – even in situations where the individual excels. As impostor syndrome can impede performance and limit an individual’s success, it is important to recognize the signs and practice self-care to avoid having these feelings impeding you from reaching your goals. It is essential to recognize impostor syndrome in your own life and strive to create healthy dialogue with yourself as a reminder of your successes and progress.

Believing in Yourself is the Key to Success: Learn to Acknowledge & Celebrate Your Progress
Imposter Syndrome can present itself in a variety of ways. Female women, especially, tend to be more likely to doubt their own abilities and experience imposter syndrome than their male counterparts. This impostor feeling may come in the form of negative self-talk and an overall sense of worthlessness and imposter syndrome, despite your successes or attainments in that area of your life. It is not uncommon for you to feel restlessness or anxiety when imposter syndrome rears its ugly head; it’s a normal reaction for anyone struggling with impostor feelings. But, desperation is not a dead end; with perseverance and self-reflection one can overcome impostor syndrome, embrace achievements and cultivate success.

Learn to trust your success and unleash the power of resilience
Imposter syndrome has become increasingly discussed in the past few decades, with the term first being coined by psychologists Suzanna Imes and Pauline Rose Clance in the 1970s. Although imposter syndrome is not a diagnosable mental illness, it can still have a negative impact on oneself, particularly for female women. Attributing success to luck or external factors can lead to a diminished sense of self-worth and undermining one’s abilities, thus impeding further progress. Furthermore, imposter syndrome has been linked to perfectionism and social context as well, suggesting that it is worth considering a combination of internal and external forces when overcoming imposter syndrome struggles.