Exploring the Link Between Imposter Syndrome and Inclusion

Overcoming Self-Doubt and Fostering Belonging

What if they find out I’m not as competent as they think I am

“I’m not good enough”, “I don’t belong here”, “I’m not as successful as I should be”, “I’m a fraud”... If these are things you are telling yourself, you are probably experiencing imposter syndrome. People who experience imposter syndrome doubt their accomplishments and feel like they are not truly deserving of their success.

Despite evidence to the contrary, individuals with imposter syndrome feel like they are frauds or imposters, constantly worried that they will be exposed as such. The term "imposter syndrome" was first used in the late 1970s by clinical psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes. They developed the concept after conducting a study of high-achieving women in academia and realizing that many of them experienced intense feelings of self-doubt and a persistent fear of being exposed as a fraud.