Empowering Imposters

Talk Outline

What is imposter syndrome?
What can you do about it?
Hopefully some empowering advice

Everyone feels it at some point in their professional life:

I'm a fraud and everyone is about to find out.

What is Imposter Syndrome?

Feeling like an imposter when you are not
Feel like so because you have 'duped' the people around you
Fear of being 'found out'

What does it look like?

Diligence
Feeling of being phony
Use of charm
Avoiding display of confidence

"There are an awful lot of people out there who think I'm an expert. How do these people believe all this about me? I'm so much aware of all the things I don't know."

- Dr. Chan, Chief of the World Health Organization

"I have written eleven books, but each time I think, 'uh oh, they're going to find out now. I've run a game on everybody, and they're going to find me out.' "

– Maya Angelou

“The first problem of any kind of even limited success is the unshakable conviction that you are getting away with something, and that any moment now they will discover you. It’s Impostor Syndrome...”

– Neil Gaiman