How to Help High Achievers Overcome Imposter Syndrome

This is an increasingly relevant subject that I’d like to breach with my colleagues—that of the so-called ‘imposter syndrome’—high achievers who have trouble attributing their high performance to their competence—and instead credit luck, tokenism, or the help of others. We all know and recognize these individuals. Furthermore, high-achieving employees who belong to a minority or marginalized group—across gender identity, sexual orientation, or ethnicity—are particularly at risk of suffering from imposter syndrome, which can cause emotional exhaustion, burnout, decreased job satisfaction, and low self-esteem. How can managers help? First of all, you can anticipate imposter syndrome among your high-achieving employees and initiate conversations about it. Then speak with them about their professional trajectory and provide a more positive and realistic evaluation of their abilities. As we managers hone our skills to properly identify and support our employees’ psychological experience of the workplace, we believe imposter syndrome will loosen its grip. Please reach out to me to discuss this important topic.