Oscar-winner Tom Hanks, former Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg, renowned writer Maya Angelou and rock star David Bowie all have something in common—and it’s more than being famous. They have all openly talked about feeling like a fraud, that they hadn’t earned their fame. And they are not alone. Workers at all levels, from entry level to CEOs, report similar feelings. The feeling has a name, imposter syndrome, and it’s on a lot of people’s minds. In 2024, Instant Office, a global office space advisory service, reported a 75% surge in online searches for imposter syndrome in 2024.
It is time to have a healthy discussion about who suffers from it and what impacts it has on mental health and workplace productivity. The term was first coined in 1978 to describe high-achieving women who believed they had fooled others into overestimating their competence.
Since then, the concept has broadened and is now recognized across genders, professions, and cultures. Those unspoken feelings of not being “good enough,” some experts warn, can cost businesses far more than anyone realizes. And researchers at MIT Sloan School of Management say some people overcompensate for feelings of inferiority by working harder.
Data varies on its prevalence, but it’s not uncommon to see numbers 50% or even much higher in professions as varied as health care, knowledge workers and entry level employees.
Feeling Inadequate
Imposter syndrome is not a clinical diagnosis, says Nicole Sublette, founder and clinical director of Therapists of Color New England. Instead, it describes “a persistent pattern of self-doubt, a fear of being exposed as inadequate and an inability to internalize accomplishments. I put imposter syndrome in the mental-health bucket as something tied to other experiences, not as a pathology,” she says.
For many, the confidence they project and the doubt they silently harbor can exist between an invisible chasm. Employees may answer emails efficiently, deliver presentations smoothly, and show up to meetings prepared, yet feel moments away from being “found out.”
“As an employer myself, all of my clinicians are folks of color and they have all experienced imposter syndrome to varying degrees,” Sublette says. “It’s connected to their intersections of identity and society, not their capability or their qualifications.”
For historically marginalized people, Sublette says the experience of being an imposter is often felt as a point of comparison in relation to others who might be considered privileged in society. “We sometimes look at a person’s desire for proximity to privilege,” Sublette says. “The pressure to be perfect is sometimes about getting closer to those who have the most power.”
Today, with many DEI initiatives rolled back and increased federal scrutiny on workplaces, imposter syndrome could get worse, says Jennice Chewlin, founder of the Chewlin Group, a consulting firm specializing in leadership development and workplace wellbeing as well as diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging training.
Chewlin says it could be particularly worse for those who have been historically underrepresented, including black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), LGBTQ+, people with disabilities and women.
The Science Behind Self-Doubt
There is nothing inherently wrong with feelings of imposter syndrome, says Chewlin. “Imposter syndrome is a fear that shows up when we care about something deeply and are trying something new,” she says.
“Our brains are constantly scanning for danger,” Chewlin says. “At work, this can show up when we’re stretching our roles or our leadership capacity.”
Studies show that social exclusion activates the same regions of the brain associated with physical pain, Chewlin says. “Feeling excluded is painful and managing that pain over a long time affects the whole body,” she says.
Sublette says when someone is operating from a feeling of imposter syndrome, they’re often functioning from the amygdala—the part of the brain that processes emotions and can trigger the body’s “fight or flight” response, “and their executive functioning gets shut off.”
Problems occur when people take a “fake it till you make it” approach at work. “When we’re ‘faking it till we make it,’ we’re perpetuating imposter syndrome,” Sublette says. “Imposter equals fake. So, you’re telling yourself, ‘I’m still an impostor.’ It’s inauthentic to the real self.”
The idea of “faking” confidence has a cost for individuals and businesses, Chewlin says. “The cost is sometimes overwork, turnover, and perpetuating the fear and negative bias people have toward themselves,” she says. “People may stay quiet in meetings. They may avoid applying for roles they’d excel in. They ‘stay in their lane’ even when they’re ready to grow.”
What Belonging Looks Like
One antidote to imposter syndrome is creating a workplace culture where employees have a voice and can raise concerns without fear of judgement. An example is DEW Construction, which has about 125 full-time employees and is a winner of Business NH Magazine’s Best Companies to Work For.
President and CEO Taylor Woodward says the company’s three guiding values of optimism, initiative and accountability shape everything from decision-making to hiring practices. “Management doesn’t see themselves as greater than anyone else in the organization,” he says. “I enjoy talking with our laborers and understanding them and the work they do.”
Woodward is direct about what might lead to employees feeling like imposters and what undermines belonging. “When a company has an elitist mentality, it will suffer and ultimately lose good people,” he says.
To prevent this, DEW invests heavily in mentorship. New hires are paired with mentors from day one to ease transitions and reinforce inclusion. “A tremendous amount of time goes into the recruiting process,” Woodward says. Technical skills matter, but they aren’t enough. “We want to know what motivates them and whether they align with our core values.”
Chewlin says mentor programs like those at DEW help alleviate feelings associated with imposter syndrome. “It’s important for individuals to have a mentor so they can challenge their imposter mindset, validate accomplishments, and recognize their experiences,” she says. “This can help demonstrate growth.”
Sublette adds that a company’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which supports employees with a range of services, including short-term counseling, can also be helpful. “People’s activities of daily living are being impacted, and they are really struggling at work or they’re worried about their career…it’s manifesting in different ways.”
While EAPs provide many professional and personal supports to navigate work-related challenges, Chewlin says an Employee Resource Group (ERG) can be particularly effective for those seeking help with imposter feelings. ERGs are employee-led affinity groups that build community and support around shared identities or experiences, such as a group geared toward women, young professionals or people of color.
“[ERGs] are an opportunity for leadership to invest resources like time and money for spaces where employees can feel represented, and understood,” she says. “These are spaces where experiences and even interests outside of work can be shared to help build belonging. They can also offer opportunities to help employees’ skills.
Even the Boss Can Feel Like an Imposter
While imposter syndrome in a workplace is often focused on employees, even company owners and managers have these experiences. Chewlin says this is normal.
“I would say as a business owner myself, this is common,” she says. “The key lies in community. You are not the only one building while flying, or figuring out the exact formula for success.”
Chewlin encourages business owners and company leaders to strive for a learner’s mindset that focuses on curiosity and experimentation. “This mindset encourages an approach that lowers barriers to growth. You become more willing to join accelerators, connect with mentors, make use of state and local business resources and build community through membership associations,” she says. Business owners can also join peer-to-peer groups to meet with other business owners and executives and realize they are not alone, she adds.
Naming the Experience and Seeking Help
Sublette says naming the experience of imposter syndrome openly is a critical first step in overcoming it. “Businesses should make imposter syndrome part of regular conversation,” she says. “In systems driven by productivity, naming it is essential. If someone is experiencing imposter syndrome, then it’s going to be very difficult to self-advocate in a hierarchy… incredibly difficult.”
For employees, recognizing when it’s time to reach outside their workplace for support is equally important. “If the structure isn’t there, that’s when it’s time to seek support from a mentor, a life coach, a mental health professional, or community resources,” Sublette says, adding, “People rarely walk into therapy saying, ‘I have imposter syndrome.’ They say, ‘I’m anxious at work’ or ‘I’m struggling to keep up.’ It manifests in many ways.”
