Imposter Syndrome
the invisible wall women keep climbing
Despite every successful project, every team she has led, and every promotion she has earned, the average female leader is often haunted by the simple, anxious thought that her success is luck and timing, rather than her work.
A KPMG study found that 75% of female executives across sectors have experienced Imposter Syndrome in their careers, including self-doubt that makes them continuously concerned if they are good enough for the job. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that new research that combined data from over 100 studies, with more than 40,000 participants, found a clear trend: women really do experience impostor syndrome more frequently and intensely than men.
For many women leaders, the higher they climb, the louder that internal voice of doubt becomes. This isn't just pre-performance nerves, it's the self-sabotaging pattern known as Imposter Syndrome. While it can affect many people, there's a particular, sharp irony to its grip on women in our society, who have smashed through barriers and achieved undeniable success.
The term Imposter Syndrome was introduced by Dr Pauline Clance and Dr Suzanne Imes in the 1970s. Clance herself has stated in interviews how, before she came up with the term, she always felt insecure about her place in graduate school, despite the impressive achievements that got her there.
We as co-founders can absolutely relate to this, because even now, when addressing meetings or speaking on panels, there are moments when we privately brace for someone to suggest we don't belong here or to minimise our skills. Just recently, Bri was asked to speak live on national TV, on a channel with nearly two million viewers. By far the biggest audience she has spoken to. Being referred to as an expert brought only unease and wobblyness to her; was she really an expert? Many of the other guests were older and had years more experience so why was there a slot for her? Needless to say, she went on and despite the smooth interview and enjoyment during it , once it was finished, she over analysed every tiny detail. And we know this is such a common pattern.
Putting yourself out there as a woman is incredibly stressful, both in the office, physically in front of our colleagues, and online, where screens create a distance that can manifest into an exaggerated sense of vulnerability, making every post and professional move feel like a public performance with career-ending stakes.
The challenge of Imposter Syndrome is rooted in more than mental health and anxiety. It is a systemic issue, deeply seated in our business world with significant economic and cultural costs. More often than not, women do not negotiate for the pay or promotion they deserve, withdraw from opportunities, or overwork themselves to exhaustion in an attempt to continually prove they deserve to be in the position they are in. A recent survey by Robert Half reports that only 33% of women will ask for a raise this year (2025) if they aren’t offered one, compared to 80% of men who said they would ask directly for one.
This imbalance shows that addressing Imposter Syndrome is not about fixing women, but about fixing the environments that fuel this lack of self-advocacy. We cannot simply tell women to be more confident when their surroundings are constantly designed to prompt self-doubt. The long term goal must be corporate accountability, where equity is baked into the culture and women are not forced to carry the mental burden of proving themselves.
The first step in overcoming imposter syndrome is acknowledging you have it. Recognise the areas in your life, and at work, where it appears frequently so that you can treat it as an external voice, not an internal truth.
Some helpful and actionable steps for interrupting that incredibly annoying cycle of self-doubt.
Enjoy your wins
Celebrate yourself and make it a habit to acknowledge and praise yourself for all your wins, big and small. None of them are insignificant. You could even create a 'kudos file' of every positive meeting, successful project result, or compliment. Use this documented evidence of your ability to immediately counter the feeling of inadequacy when it arises.
2. Take a breath
When you are in the flurry of self doubt or anxiety, try to take a bit of time to relax and breathe. It sounds very simple but letting ourselves calm down allows our brain to approach feelings more logically and think about how much of it is that internal voice driving the stress.
3. Set boundaries
Imposter Syndrome often leads to over-preparation and burnout as a coping mechanism. Women especially, tend to take on more work and it can easily set a precedent, of people pleasing that ends up benefitting others at the expense of their health. Do your work to the best you can and consciously set boundaries with others.
4. Join a network - Hi
Being part of a network is one of the most powerful ways to beat Imposter Syndrome because it instantly shows you that you're not alone. Networks like EDI-T create a safe place where everyone can talk honestly about self-doubt and mistakes without fear of judgement. Instead, networks like ours allow people to share more openly, discuss what has worked and equally what hasn’t as well as building lasting relationships.
This is the invisible wall we at EDI-T want to help tear down for every woman in our community. Confidence is power and we aim to help boost our community's confidence in their skills and abilities through content, sharing of experiences and networking.
The moment has come to stop doubting our success and fill the leadership space we have already earned.