Impostor syndrome

Even the most successful entrepreneurs are not immune from the "impostor syndrome» (the impostor syndrome). The term was formulated in the 70s, and the disease is described as the fear of the individual in front of his own success, the tendency to consider themselves not as smart or talented as other people think. Those who feel as deceivers, and write off their achievements to external factors such as good luck, perfect timing, merely personal charm, not talent. Psychological studies conducted in the early '80s, showed that two out of five successful people consider themselves frauds.


 - How often do your clients are people with a similar syndrome?

Quite often. It is that a significant portion of customers who consider themselves to be "wrong", "bad" and turn to a psychologist for the "something done with them", "adjusted the" and "straightened».

I think that now the number of people with this problem has increased. We live in a world where not be allowed to be "small" or "normal". On all sides we are called to be "large" better "huge" important and significant. To admit that you are something you can not, now is considered indecent, even with the so-called (pseudo) "psychological" point of view incorrect. All this leads to the fact that people are starting to feel "inadequate", which means "impostors».

 - What do you think personally, the causes of these complexes?

In addition, of what I have already said, there are still plenty of reasons. The influence of parents, "birth order" (the youngest child in the family), psychological trauma caused by a failure in the field, which for the person giperznachima. But in order to cope with this "syndrome" is not so important, in my view, to know the reasons. Important to understand as it is now, at this moment of his life a man makes himself an impostor, what is the mechanism of internal reasoning that every time with relentless precision leads to a sense of insignificance.

 - How does this syndrome can affect the development of the business?

Can affect positively.

"The Pretender" is constantly striving to turn from "ugly duckling" into a beautiful swan. Many people choose to do this - career path. Work to distraction trying to prove to themselves and others that they take their place on the right. The only problem is that no external achievements, even the greatest, never release the person from the problem that is within him. I think that most of the top managers feel impostors. Externally, it is imperceptible. Shame burning "impostor" inside, outside sometimes takes the appearance of great pride, that is an impostor trying hard to look for other significant that they did not notice his "imaginary" nullity.

Can affect and negatively. "The Pretender" does not develop itself and develops its business, since I am sure that is not worthy of even the place where now located. Such "impostors" decide not to move up, reject interesting suggestions, do not accept the awards they deserve, according to other people.

 - How an entrepreneur can cope with such a syndrome?

First, in any case do not use recipes from the series "tell yourself that you are a good ...". This includes visits to some of the trainings of personal growth, in which people "pumped" feeling of self-worth. All of this leads back - a vicious circle. Man "utter" yourself a good, others heard enough and goes out for a while "phase nullity" in "phase of greatness." But this does not change anything! Man continues or condemn himself ("you kind of impostor, someone else's place to do!"), Or to justify ("well done, you are worthy of this place, you've earned it with their work!"). And the problem is that people in the two phase judges himself. And this, as you know, you should not do. Therefore, the answer to the question "how to cope" - simple - do not judge yourself. However, this is a bit tricky.

 - If possible, some concrete examples of life (mention names and company names are not necessarily enough to call the scope of the entrepreneur).

One of my clients got a job recruitment agency. For six months did such a career that other people are doing with difficulty over five years. His salary has increased several times. A year later, after the start of my client was awarded the annual prize of "Discovery of the Year". Award presented by the President of the company, specially arrived from England for this. And two weeks after the ceremony client was sitting in my office and said that as a professional he is he is nothing, does not work well at all and no one needs. Describe the whole cycle of works in this case can not be such a problem can not be solved in one -two meeting.

The main task for the "impostor" - is to allow yourself to be, just be who you are, and stop judging yourself, and along with others.

Author - Konorov Fedor