Why You Must Beat Imposter Syndrome

I wasn’t planning to write an article about Imposter Syndrome this week, but something happened that convinced me I should put aside my scheduled topic and take this on instead.  

Two different acquaintances of mine, both insanely experienced and qualified for their work, told me they suffer from Imposter Syndrome.  These folks are people I consider to be top experts in their respective fields, and they suffer from Imposter Syndrome! I mean, of course mere mortals like me have experienced it at times, but when I found out they did, too, it was a revelation.

Want to know what’s worse?  Both of these people are skilled educators whose students get tremendous value from what they have to teach. What if they had let Imposter Syndrome stop them from getting their knowledge out there into the world and benefiting all those people? It would have been a tremendous loss.

There are several contexts related to Imposter Syndrome, but I want to focus on a very specific one here: am I qualified to teach this subject or am I just an imposter? By “teach” I mean any activity where others benefit from your knowledge, whether it’s a formal in-person or online course, a presentation, or just informal mentoring of a colleague or friend.

What is Imposter Syndrome?

Imposter Syndrome is at work when you doubt your own accomplishments and knowledge in your area of expertise.  You may feel like you got as far as you did because of luck, favoritism, or some other force not related to your own abilities. You may even think of yourself as a “fraud” in danger of being found out some day. With respect to teaching, this might look something like: I don’t really know that much – why would anyone want to learn from me? There are a couple of reasons why a very competent person could fall prey to Imposter Syndrome.

One is that they are so familiar with the ideas and concepts related to their area of expertise, the knowledge begins to seem obvious.  This phenomenon is also known as the Curse of Knowledge. In this instance, the very mastery that makes someone a great expert can make them feel like the information they are well qualified to teach is just common knowledge and therefore not worth sharing. But the exact opposite is true. It’s because the subject comes to them easily and fluently that they are highly qualified to teach it.

Another reason some people experience Imposter Syndrome is that they have a lack of confidence in themselves and their abilities under certain circumstances.  The same person can be very confident in one situation (like coaching volleyball), but lack confidence in another (like giving a professional presentation). One book I highly recommend on this topic is The Confidence Code by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman. The primary audience for the book is women who, they argue, suffer from work-related confidence issues more than men.  But men, I think you’ll get a lot out of it, too!

Why you shouldn’t feel like an imposter

We are all experts in something. 

It’s the thing that, when you’re doing it, doesn’t feel like work at all. It could be your job or something else you’re passionate about.  When you get an email related to that subject, you open it first – even if there’s something else you really should be doing.  Your Audible and Kindle libraries (or maybe even real bookshelves) are filled with books about it. When you’re scrolling through FaceBook or Twitter, you always click on the links that lead you to it.  You might take classes on this topic, in person or online. In summary, you voraciously consume every bit of information you can find about it!

Or, you might be an expert because of something you have lived through.  Maybe you experienced a difficult challenge and came out on the other side. You learned how to overcome a particular adversity by doing it yourself, and you can offer that solution to others who are struggling with the same situation.

When you dig into a subject, live it, read and learn about it relentlessly, think and ponder about it, and try out new methods and solutions related to it, you are doing the work it takes to become an expert.

I also want to point out that you don’t have to be a Ph.D. Nobel Prize winner to be an expert!  There are many paths that can lead to expert-level knowledge.  Sure, some experts have a Ph.D. and 50 years of experience practicing their subject professionally, but that’s not very common!  If we had to sit around and wait for people to get to that level before they started teaching something there wouldn’t be very many learning opportunities in the world. 

Why you must beat Imposter Syndrome

Now I’m going to explain why you absolutely must beat Imposter Syndrome, get out there, and teach people the valuable information that you know so well, whether it’s through a formal course, a workshop, or just informal mentorship. 

Think about the best teacher you’ve ever had. Maybe it was the high school teacher who sparked your love of science or reading.  Or maybe it was a mentor who guided you through the early years of your career and pointed you in the direction that led to your success.

Now imagine if that person had not taken the time to teach you what they knew.  Maybe you wouldn’t have been set on a path to the career you have now.  Or maybe you never would have found your own passion – the one they introduced you to. When you know something well enough to teach other people, you have a tremendous opportunity to benefit others and make a change for good in the world! When you become a teacher you are paying it forward by giving others the opportunity to learn something that could literally change their lives. You are giving them something – knowledge, skills, an opportunity – that maybe only you can give.

When you give in to Imposter Syndrome, you are giving up on the opportunity to benefit others with your knowledge and make a change for good in the world.

How to beat Imposter Syndrome

Hopefully, I’ve convinced you that there’s no reason for you to feel like an imposter.  In fact, it’s really important that you beat Imposter Syndrome so you can get the important knowledge only you have out into the world.  Just in case Imposter Syndrome ever does get it’s hooks into you, here are some suggestions for beating it:

Embrace being an expert

Make a list (mental or written) of all the work you’ve done and experiences you’ve had that make you an authority on what you know. Write down the hours, months and years you’ve logged working on that topic, the books you’ve read, the classes you’ve taken.  List the real life experiences you’ve had that give you a unique perspective on it and the people you’ve already helped with your knowledge. Then take a moment to stop and realize that most people haven’t put in anywhere near the time and effort you have to master that subject, which means you truly are an expert!

Join forums where people talk about your topic 

Find forums where people talk about your topic and offer help and responses based on your expertise.  Find a Facebook or LinkedIn group where people post about the topic and see what they are talking about and asking about.  Respond and offer insight based on your knowledge.  You’ll be surprised how much you know and have to offer.

Keep getting better

Continue to build your confidence in the area of your expertise through active work to improve your own knowledge.  True experts are life-long learners, always growing their knowledge and experience in their field. Seek out books and classes that fill in any knowledge gaps you do have.  The more you learn, the stronger your skills and confidence will become.

Teach what you know!  

Teaching is an excellent way to increase your self confidence in your area of expertise. As you teach, you solidify and deepen your own understanding of your subject matter. You also interact with students who are not experts. When you experience the difference between what you know and what they know, you will come to understand why you have a lot to offer as a teacher.  Remember, you don’t have to know everything about a topic to be an effective teacher and provide value to others. You just need to know more than the people you’re teaching. 

To summarize,  a lot of people suffer from Imposter Syndrome at some point in their lives – maybe even you.  One of the worst outcomes, in my opinion, is that it could result in you not sharing what you know with others who could really benefit from it.

Whether you suffer from Imposter Syndrome or not, you should teach! This week, try to think of one way you can get your knowledge out into the world so people can benefit from your hard-earned expertise, whatever the subject. If you’re feeling brave, comment on this article and let me know what you plan to do!

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