Navigating Imposter Phenomenon

February 13, 2025

If you've ever experienced feelings of self-doubt, fear of being exposed as a fraud, or the inability to accept your own accomplishments, you are not alone! Such feelings can be markers of imposter syndrome, a term coined by Suzanna Imes and Pauline Rose Clance in 1978, which can also manifest as feelings of being “not enough” or not belonging, being unqualified, or that everyone else knows that they are doing and you’re just “faking it till you can make it.” Minoritized or marginalized groups experience imposter syndrome disproportionately. It can impact us at any stage of our careers and lives, so it’s important to remember that our students and colleagues may be experiencing similar thoughts and feelings. An estimated 70% of people in the United States have experienced imposter syndrome, and the numbers are likely on the rise. 

If this many people are experiencing imposter syndrome, we have to ask ourselves: “what are the causes?” We might first consider what the word “syndrome” makes us think the causes might be. The term “syndrome” can refer to a group of symptoms that consistently occur together, or a condition characterized by a set of associated symptoms. It can also refer to a characteristic combination of opinions, emotions, or behavior, such as the “Not In My Backyard” syndrome.

This latter definition—“a combination of opinions, emotions, or behavior”—implies that this is an individualized issue and emphasizes individual causes and solutions. Many scholars, including Feenstra et al., have suggested that we should shift from calling this experience a “syndrome” to calling it “Imposter Phenomenon.” Rather than looking at this phenomenon individually, we can look at it from a social-psychological perspective, which allows us to examine the “contextual roots that underlie this pervasive phenomenon.” To do so, we have to factor in such things as social hierarchy, expected roles vs. roles we play, and stereotypes we face. 

Certainly, higher education has features that could contribute to the phenomenon. The culture of higher education is often competitive (even adversarial) and focused on production: publication and peer review, grant application processes, hiring and performance evaluation processes, or student grading and ranking, for example. Faculty, staff, and students alike are frequently in positions of having to prove we’re enough. No wonder we might feel like we can’t measure up!

Working in positions where those around you may have different degrees or experiences can also fuel imposter phenomenon; even contract differences (e.g., A&P faculty, classified staff, RTA, tenure-track/tenured, etc.) can have an impact on how we feel and interact with each other. Having a different identity or cultural background from those around you can also amplify the phenomenon. Academia, with its upper middle class to elite values and structures, can be a strange place to navigate for those of us with different class backgrounds and identities. Despite efforts to increase belonging and mattering, higher ed still has a way of othering, yet another factor that can increase imposter phenomenon.

Now that we know some of the exacerbating factors, here are some strategies we might use in our classrooms and other spaces to navigate imposter phenomenon:

• Talk about it. It might seem deceptively simple, but research into shame (and we would argue that imposter phenomenon is shame based and that academia is a “shame factory”), suggests secrecy is its greatest strength. Open up to friends and family, acknowledge that you’re having an “imposter feeling day.” Talk to colleagues and to your students. The more we recognize that imposter phenomenon is not an isolated syndrome, but a worldwide phenomenon, often out of our control, the less power it will have over us. Therapy is good too! 

• Share resources. If you’ve developed strategies for navigating imposter phenomenon, share your stories, successes, and even failures with colleagues as well as students. The Counseling Center offers students a range of resources to support them in navigating imposterism, and the many other intersecting challenges they may be experiencing.

• Stop comparing, and intervene when students or colleagues engage in comparison — the thief of joy! We do live in a competitive world, but all the more reason we should support each other and step out of the “not enough” mentality. 

• Build in soft places to land so that students know they can fail in some areas and still be successful in the class (and other spaces). Advocate for these kinds of soft places for faculty, too, such by reimagining tenure and promotion processes. Challenge language of excellence, and encourage students (and yourself) to think about their worth outside of their work.

• Speaking of advocacy: point students to resources like CMSS, SOGIE, and other cultural and affinity spaces where they can have open conversations about their experiences. Faculty and staff advocacy and affinity spaces such as Sisters in Session, the Madison Hispanic Caucus, LGBTQ+ groups, Madison Caucus for Gender Equality, and Faculty/Staff Balanced Dukes Groups can be important too.

• Work to receive and accept positive feedback, when given, and practice positive self-talk. Keep a log of your achievements, identify when that inner critic is gnawing at the back of your mind, and remind yourself that this is only one, very negative perspective on what’s really happening. This can go hand-in-hand with cultivating self-compassion, celebrating successes and failures, and reframing negative self-talk. 

• Work toward a culture of care: since most of us are in this together, we can support each other in navigating the imposter beast. Check in with students, and colleagues, often. Push back on structures and systems that are harmful, and work to build alternatives.

Whether you experience imposter phenomenon, or know colleagues and students who do (spoiler alert: that’s all us!), being aware of the causes, consequences, and potential strategies for navigating it is important to creating campus spaces where everyone matters and belongs. Please be in touch with us, and/or join our session on “Transforming Imposter Syndrome to Build an Inclusive Future” at the Diversity Conference on March 26, 2025, to keep the conversation going!