970x125
We have probably heard or read about impostor syndrome—those feelings of inadequacy that people experience and the fear that others will discover they do not belong in the position they occupy. What is problematic about the discussions, articles, and social media clips on impostor syndrome is that they assume the person is the problem.
The narrative goes something like this.
Are you feeling incompetent? Do you feel like you do not belong in your position or the university you got into?
If so, then you are experiencing impostor syndrome. The advice, which may include strengthening your self-esteem or standing in power poses, often takes a fix-the-individual approach.
But what if these feelings of unintelligence and unbelonging are not stemming from within but rather from the environments we occupy? What if these feelings are being triggered by the workplaces, universities, and other spaces we are in?
The external factors that may elicit the feelings typically labeled impostor syndrome are what I call impostorization.
Impostorization refers to the policies, practices, and seemingly harmless interactions in an environment that can make (or attempt to make) us question our intelligence, competence, and sense of belonging.
I wish I could say that I magically produced a term to describe the systems and processes that make us feel like impostors, but I did not. The word came to me after delivering one of the most humiliating presentations of my career.
Yes, you read that correctly. Humiliating.
I had been hired to deliver a one-hour presentation on impostor syndrome to a large audience of entrepreneurs. I started by defining the term, and as I progressed to my second slide, a participant raised his hand and noted, “I understand what you are describing, but this does not apply to me.” Another participant echoed the sentiment shortly thereafter.
There I was, standing before a sea of entrepreneurs who nodded in agreement as the two participants spoke. It was painfully obvious that my presentation would be of little relevance to this audience.
What would you have done if you were me?
I looked at my watch and had 55 minutes left of content that would be of little to no value to my audience. I wanted to simply end the session and rush to the airport to catch the fastest flight home.
But I did not.
Feeling defeated, I closed my presentation and stood there for a few seconds. I then mustered the courage to ask the audience to help me understand what they had experienced.
For the next 50-plus minutes, I simply listened.
Dozens shared accounts of investors, family members, and others who questioned their expertise and their ability to succeed as an entrepreneur. They expressed their frustration and disappointment that so many people doubted them.
Despite having the right skills and experience, they were questioned and made to feel as though they were not as competent as they believed. Some managed to stay the course, while others said that this external doubt shook their belief and they now wondered whether they should quit.
It was then that I realized that what this audience was describing was not an issue stemming from within but rather, stemming from the outside.
After replaying in my mind the experiences and insights that the audience shared, I understood that impostor syndrome did not capture their lived experiences.
That night, I did not get much sleep. I tossed and turned as I tried to come up with a term that would capture their accounts. I also thought about my own personal and professional experiences and all the time I and others labeled my feelings impostor syndrome and assumed it was a “me-issue.” I remember being in environments where I felt I did not belong. I remember feeling unqualified to serve in positions despite having the necessary experience and degrees.
Then it occurred to me that while individuals may indeed experience impostor syndrome, there are also people who are made to feel like they are impostors. Impostorization became the term used to describe the external environment, biases, and systemic practices—rather than internal factors or personality traits—that trigger impostor feelings.
Impostorization occurs in universities, workplaces, relationships, families, and society.
This article is intended as an introduction to impostorization. Drawing on extant research, interviews, and my personal experiences, I will write in the future about impostorization across different contexts and how we can counter its effects.
