As professionals, we may view others as highly intelligent, talented and successful, but how do we view ourselves? “Impostors” is probably not the answer most of us would provide, at least not publicly.
In reality, some of us will view ourselves as frauds, fearing that it is only a matter of time before someone discovers that we really do not belong in the spaces or positions we occupy.
Collectively, these feelings and fears are referred to as impostor syndrome. Coined by psychologists Pauline Clance and Susan Imes, the term was based on their counseling sessions with women who felt incompetent, unintelligent, and made external attributions for their achievements — despite having records of success.