Feel Like an Imposter at Work?

Here's a cognitive behavioral technique to use to manage imposter syndrome.

Key points

• Imposter syndrome (IS) is experienced by 62% of people, according to a large survey.

• The higher your level of education, the more likely you are to experience IS.

• A cognitive behavior technique can help people manage IS.

• Because IS is so common, mention of the condition can be used to increase trust with subordinates.

A person crouched in office hallway, appearing stressed and overwhelmed.

Imposter syndrome (IS) is a persistent inability to attribute one’s achievements to personal merit. Success is wholly or partially attributed to luck or other external factors. (Salari, 2025). Although IS was once thought to be a gender issue, recent research suggests that both sexes experience the condition. Males are less likely to discuss it openly. (Vitoria, 2020).

Salari and his research team recently reviewed 30 different studies on IS with a total sample size of 11, 483 people. They found that 62% experienced the syndrome at some point. The probability of experiencing IS increased with years of formal education. (Salari, 2025).

IS can inhibit people from making contributions. Nevertheless, leaders can harness it to increase trust.

Why Pay Attention to IS?

Individuals with IS are less likely to volunteer answers than their peers. They are less likely to volunteer for experiences that would advance their careers but risk public failure.

There is no cure for IS, but there are ways to manage it. Step one is to respect the empirical research: If you experience IS, acknowledge that you are in good company. Sixty-two percent of workers experience it. You are not alone. IS is common among all types of professionals, especially among physicians and CEOs (Sheykhangafshe et al.)

Cognitive behavioral therapy has been effective in treating the IS of medical professionals (Sheykhangafshe et al, 2024). One especially helpful cognitive behavioral technique is to reframe success/failure.

Most professionals tend to view success/failure as a binary concept: If you didn’t totally succeed, then you are a failure. Think about your previous visit to your primary care provider. You probably saw a chart on a wall with a level of pain from 0 (no pain) to 10 (intolerable). Asking a patient, “Are you in pain?” is a binary question. Alternatively, asking a patient, “On a scale of 0 to 10, what is your level of pain?” turns it into an ordinal problem. Which question helps your care provider be more effective in managing your pain?

Consider framing success and failure as ordinal concepts, ranging from 0 to 10. A “0” stands for “total calamity.” A “10” stands for “total success.”

A secondary ordinal scale might involve your perception of the impact your behavior had on the success outcome. The scale might range from 0 (bystander) to 10 (could not happen without me).

How to Use IS to Build Trust.

The AI paradox declares that as the use of artificial intelligence increases, it reduces the relative value of analytical and technical competence. With increasing use, AI is fueling skepticism among people about what they read and see on screens. However, perceived personal and institutional trust takes on a higher value as AI use grows.

During a one-on-one meeting with a subordinate, consider admitting that you, too, suffered from IS when you were at the age/experience level of the subordinate. Admit that as you have gained experience and success, IS has abated but perhaps never entirely disappeared.

Frame the disclosure in words that you are comfortable with. The key idea is to normalize IS. Admitting to having IS increases that subordinate’s trust in you. It also reduces the subordinates’ sense of isolation.

Because impostor syndrome is so common among men and women, it can be reliably used as a way to increase perceived trust.

Laurence J. Stybel Ed.D. -Blog