I Took the Original Imposter Syndrome Quiz. Here’s how I did.

Have you heard of Imposter Syndrome?

I’m willing to bet you have. It’s a term that’s thrown around a lot these days.  I think the reason so many people use it is because most of us can relate to the concept.  To put it simply, you experience Imposter Syndrome when you have the fear that you are not as capable, knowledgeable or skilled as people think you are.

The idea was first conceptualized in 1978, and the original authors referred to it as the “Impostor Phenomenon”. The authors of that original paper were two psychologists named Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes, and their article is titled, The Imposter Phenomenon in High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention. Clance also created what she calls the Clance Imposter Phenomenon Scale.  And guess what it is?  A QUIZ!

I mean, who can resist a quiz?  I’ve been thinking a lot about Imposter Syndrome – ever since I realized that overcoming it was what changed the entire trajectory of my life.  So when I saw that there was a quiz, how could I resist?  I took it right away.

Here’s what happened.

First of all, when you follow the link to the test on Clance’s website (I’ve included it below), you will find that it is not an interactive quiz, it’s a pdf. I know, I know, the fun factor just went down a little. It would be much more fun if you could just click on your answers and your results would appear.

To take the quiz, you answer 20 questions by selecting a number between one and five (1 = not at all true and 5 = very true). Because I’m a nerd, and not great at adding in my head, I broke out a spreadsheet and numbered the rows 1-20, then summed up the values to see how I did.

As I read the questions I realized, to my surprise, that I couldn’t honestly give myself a top score for many of them.  But like I said, I’ve had success overcoming Imposter Syndrome, so I knew I would do pretty well. In fact, I thought I was going to get an A+ on the quiz. (You don’t actually get a grade on the quiz, and the fact that I was focused on getting an A should give you a clue about how I actually did.) 

Here’s how I actually did.

I totalled my points and looked at the key. Clance divides the results into 3 point ranges, and you check your score against the ranges to see which category you fall into. I scanned the key to find my category, which I assumed would be something like, “You have successfully vanquished Imposter Syndrome!”. But what my score actually revealed is that I have moderate experiences with Imposter Syndrome.  I was surprised!  

I know that I’ve made tremendous progress in overcoming Imposter Syndrome and there have been some pretty dramatic changes in my life because of it. So why were my results on the quiz so…medium?

I spent some time pondering it. Why would someone who feels like they have successfully overcome Imposter Syndrome still register as an “Imposter” on the scale?

Then it hit me:

I didn’t overcome Imposter Syndrome, I developed a method for overcoming Imposter Syndrome that I consistently use to achieve success even when I feel like an Imposter.

Imposter Syndrome describes a feeling that most people experience at some point in their lives. It’s not a clinical diagnosis or a character trait, it’s just a human experience. More than that, it’s an experience we often have when we are out of our comfort zone or trying something new.  Both very positive things to do in terms of personal development and growth!

I realized that the real goal is not to do away with Imposter Syndrome forever, it’s to have a method at hand when you experience it so that you can push through doubt and insecurity. When you do that you experience the benefits of trying things that are hard, but can result in tremendous personal results.

Here’s an example. 

A couple of months ago, I was asked to give a presentation to a professional association.  The topic they asked me to talk about was Imposter Syndrome (ironic, right?). I knew I had a lot of good information to share about the topic.  Not only had I struggled with it myself and overcome it, I had done a lot of reading and research about it.

Nevertheless, I hesitated.  I started to doubt myself and a voice in my head asked, “who am I to give a speech to a bunch of people about Imposter Syndrome?”  I’m certainly not Pauline Rose Clance or Suzanne Imes.  I’m not even a clinical psychologist like they are!  I thought very seriously about declining the invitation.  I mean, what if they hated my talk and emailed the coordinator to ask why such a fake had been asked to speak?

But then I stopped and considered it.  I started to think about all of the things I could say that I knew could really help people.  I pictured a future where I had connected with the audience, they had enjoyed my talk, and told me it brought them value. I went through the rest of the steps I’d used in the past to overcome the doubts associated with Imposter Syndrome. And then I said yes, and gave the talk!

Do you want to know how the talk went?  I’ll tell you in a minute, but first I want to tell you that how it went is not the most important part of this story.  It’s the fact that I made the choice to overcome Imposter Syndrome, get out of my comfort zone, take action, and give the talk.

But I know…you want to hear how the talk actually went, right?  A story is a story!  Well, I’m happy to say that the talk went great.  I was prepared, and as soon as it started I began to feel excited about the ideas I was sharing.  The audience was wonderful and engaged – they participated in my activities and polls and commented in the chat.  When we were done they thanked me for the valuable information!

It turned out to be a very positive experience for me. But I want to emphasize that even though the talk did go well, that wasn’t the most important thing that happened for me that day.  I trusted my method, took the steps, got out of my comfort zone and took action even though I felt doubts about my ability to do a great job.

In other words: it’s not about how I felt, it’s about what I did.

It has been my experience for many years now that the more I’ve looked Imposter Syndrome right in the face and said, “I’m not giving in to you,” the more confident and successful I’ve become. It hasn’t always been easy, but with practice, and a trusted method, I have learned to do it.

If you’re interested in learning more about the method I use to push past Imposter Syndrome and take action, I’d love to tell you more about it! Just send me an email at kirstin@youshouldteach.com and let me know how I can help! 

Kirstin

P.S. Curious about the Imposter Phenomenon quiz?  Here’s the link to Pauline Rose Clance’s website, and to the Imposter Phenomenon quiz pdf.

If you’d like to be notified when I post new articles, you can sign up here.