Updated 2/6/2025
Today’s the day. Big investor meeting. Major conference speech. Pitch of a lifetime. But, naturally, you wake up in a cold sweat, convinced that today will be a complete disaster. Uh oh, imposter syndrome has come knocking again. Now, there is no perfect formula for how to overcome imposter syndrome; rather, it’s about cultivating resilience and learning to navigate those doubts with grace and self-compassion.
Here’s an entirely unscientific theory: The smarter and more amazing you are, the more likely you are to be haunted by this little demon. Case in point: a highly successful maverick we know recently scored 44 out of 45 on the imposter syndrome test. When I congratulated her, she informed me that the lowest possible score was a zero. Oops.
In our experience, feelings of low self-confidence tend to pop up not when we’re doing something new, but when we see someone else absolutely crushing it. Social media? Oh, that’s usually the culprit. Even though we know we’re watching perfectly curated highlights designed to make everyone look like they have it together (newsflash: they don’t), we get sucked in every time. Cue the self-doubt. All we want to do is curl up in a ball on the couch and pretend the world’s problems aren’t our responsibility.
How to Deal with Imposter Syndrome
So, how do we get off the couch and back in the game? Well, it’s either a pep talk or a good ol’ come-to-Jesus moment with each other. But if you don’t have a work-wife like we do, here are a few mindsets that help:
1. Remember, you’re not alone:
Even the most successful people get those pesky feelings.
- Ariana Huffington calls imposter syndrome her “obnoxious roommate,” and says the only cure is a hefty dose of wisdom.
- David Bowie hid behind obsessive writing and performing to fight off imposter syndrome. Sound familiar?
- Melinda Gates had a breakthrough when a co-worker shared countless examples of how qualified she actually was. (Spoiler: You’re probably more qualified than you think.)
2. Visualize the time you crushed imposter syndrome:
Think back to that one moment when you kicked self-doubt to the curb. For Beth, it was delivering a flawless speech to 1500 people—after forgetting her entire speech the second she stepped up to the podium. One prayer (it was more like a desperate plea) and boom, she nailed it. For Victoria, it was convincing a skeptical board to take a chance on her bold communications strategy—despite them hating her idea at first. But she stuck with it, and they came around.
3. The most important tip? Just persist.
Even if you feel like you don’t belong in the room, strut in there like you own the place. If you think you can’t sell the product, try it once or twice anyway. If speaking to a room of successful women feels like the scariest thing you’ve ever done, walk up to that microphone. And remember: If you don’t cry or wet yourself in the process, consider it a win. Sure, it’s a low bar, but it’s a start.
Here’s our secret weapon for dealing with imposter syndrome:
We try to prevent imposter syndrome from even happening in the first place. We silence negative self-talk whenever we catch it and call each other out on it when necessary. And, of course, we take victory laps when they’re deserved—usually in our own heads, and almost always while blasting Beyoncé’s “If You Like It, Then You Shoulda Put a Ring On It.”
Learning how to overcome imposter syndrome is a journey. It’s a lot of two steps forward, one step back. We didn’t title this post “Overcoming Imposter Syndrome for Good” because—let’s be real—that’s above our pay grade. And, pssst… we’re still working on it too.
