Soul Led Leaders Archives ~ Page 10 of 10 ~ Clare Josa

Imposter Syndrome: Are You Part Of The Lucky Two Per Cent?

This week sees the launch of my new book - Ditching Imposter Syndrome. It's the culmination of fifteen years of specialising in helping leaders to clear Imposter Syndrome and other self-imposed glass ceilings, plus the findings of the 2019 Imposter Syndrome Research Study.

It is already being described as a 'ground-breaking', 'revolutionary' and 'unique' approach to setting yourself free from those secret 3am fears that someone might 'find out' you're not good enough, that you don't know as much as we 'should', that you only got to where you are by fluke or luck.

But there's a big part of me hoping that you're one of the 2% that doesn't need this book, because being stuck with Imposter Syndrome stinks. And when you add in the super-common myth that it's both inevitable and incurable, it's a recipe for stress, anxiety, and trashed dreams for our personal and professional development.

We shut down; we play it safe; we live in secret fear.

Here are the stats to back up that 2%. In the research study, we asked people how often they had experienced Imposter Syndrome in the past twelve months. We took out the people who ticked that they didn't know what it is. Of the remaining respondents, a tiny 2% said 'never' and only 9% said 'rarely'.

That means that 89% of respondents had experienced Imposter Syndrome in the past year at a level that could be affecting their performance, their productivity and their mental and emotional well-being - and their life dreams.

89% of research respondents experience Imposter Syndrome often enough that it will be affecting their performance and wellbeing.

Now here's the cosmic joke about all of this:

The single biggest thing that makes Imposter Syndrome so potent is that people think they are the only one with it - that everyone else has their act together.

We convince ourselves it's just us - and there's nothing we can do about it.

But, based on the data, if you look around your office or train or social media feed right now, chances are that a big proportion of the people you'll see have also had that 3am self-talk about not being good enough, keeping them awake worrying, at some point in the past year.

You are not alone!

And - as Ditching Imposter Syndrome will hopefully prove to you - struggling with Imposter Syndrome is neither inevitable nor incurable.

I wrote Ditching Imposter Syndrome for all action-takers out there who are hungry to make a bigger difference in the world, who know they have been secretly getting in their own way.

I wrote the book because it breaks my heart to hear people feel they have to put up with feeling like a fraud - or even defending their need to beat themselves up as some kind of way to stay humble or be a high-achiever.

Ditching Imposter Syndrome guides you through five simple steps to clear Imposter Syndrome, once and for all, with inspirational exercises that create breakthroughs in minutes, not months.

And, as if that weren't already enough of an incentive to dive in and get your copy today, I'm throwing in some launch week bonuses.

1. For this week only, when you order the hardback version of Ditching Imposter Syndrome, you get the Kindle version as my gift.

So that means when you buy the fabulous, so-gorgeous-you'll-want-to-stroke-it hardback version to read at your leisure, you also get the Kindle version on your phone, to take with you wherever you might need it - with it's life-changing exercises, inspirational strategies, and emergency quick fixes for Imposter Syndrome and self-doubt.

Also, I know what it feels like to make a decision to take action on changing your life... only to have the passion fizzle as you wait for the postman. I don't want you to have to wait for Ditching Imposter Syndrome to arrive before you dive in, and I also don't want you to settle for the eBook version, if you - like me - prefer a book you can hold and bookmark / cover with sticky notes / scribble in, when you're on a mission to change your life.

If you buy your hardback copy via Amazon, this process will be (hopefully!) obvious. If you order Ditching Imposter Syndrome from your favourite local bookstore, reply to your Readers' Resource Vault welcome email to let me know and we'll email you a Kindle / ePub version.

2. You are not alone!

I'm running a 30-day pop-up Facebook group for readers of Ditching Imposter Syndrome, where we'll have fun going through the book together. I'll be in there every day (weekdays) to answer your questions and be the virtual cheerleader to your successes. And I'll be running a weekly live stream Q&A where you can get on-the-spot mentoring from me, without paying my regular consulting fee.

Details for how to join the group will be in your welcome email, once you've registered for the book's Readers' Resource Vault (URL is in the book).

3. Ditch Your Imps To Win!

As I was writing Ditching Imposter Syndrome, I mis-typed the phrase 'Imposter Syndrome' so often that I had to set up a shortcut in my writing software to get it right for me: 'Imps' became 'Imposter Syndrome'. And Imposter Syndrome feels like a bunch of imps in your head, pouring ice-cold water over your ambitions and dreams.

So that's the book's launch hashtag: #ditchyourimps - on Facebook, Instagram, Linked In and Twitter

When you join the Facebook group, you'll find ten ways you can enter to win a share of over £2,500 of prizes during October - hint: one of them is joining the Facebook group - with the added bonus that you'll be changing your life, too, in a way that's fast, fun and forever.

Unless you're part of the 2% (or perhaps 11% if you include those who only struggle 'rarely') who don't experience Imposter Syndrome, then I hope you'll dive in today and make a decision that the 'future you' will thank you for.

Here's where to get your copy of Ditching Imposter Syndrome today:

www.ditchingimpostersyndrome.com/book/

I can't wait to see what you go and do with this stuff!

x Clare

Clare Josa | Author | Speaker | Mentor

P.S. If you're one of the 2%, I'm truly thrilled for you - really. It's a great place to be! I'm curious, though: do you know anyone who might love Ditching Imposter Syndrome? Could you share this article with them, so they can take the first steps on the journey to living life free from Imposter Syndrome, as you do? Thank you!

Landmark Imposter Syndrome Research Study Proves: “It’s Not Just A Girl Thing”

Soul Led Leaders

The urban myth that Imposter Syndrome only affects women has been blown out of the water by the landmark 2019 Imposter Syndrome Research Study.

Involving qualitative depth interviews and a quantitative survey, this UK-based research showed that men and women are affected at similar rates:

52% of female respondents and 49% of male respondents said they struggle with Imposter Syndrome 'daily' or 'regularly'.Click To Tweet

The assumption that it was a ‘girl thing’ comes from two factors, according to the research:

1. The Original 1978 Imposter Syndrome Research

The original research by Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes, back in 1978, led people to assume that Imposter Syndrome is a female-only phenomenon.

However, most people don’t realise that the research only included women.

Also, culturally, back in the 1970s, few men would have admitted to struggling with Imposter Syndrome, so there was no narrative to contradict the assumption.

Clance’s later work confirmed that men also struggle with this, but it wasn’t as widely publicised.

2. Men And Women Handle It Differently

The 2019 Imposter Syndrome Research Study showed that men and women handle Imposter Syndrome very differently.

Both genders tend to keep it quiet, thinking they are the only person struggling with it.

But women are twenty times more likely to open up to friends and family about how they are feeling than men are.

Men were found to be five times more likely to turn to alcohol and medication, to numb the stress, fear and anxiety that Imposter Syndrome can trigger.

The 2019 research also shows another surprising gender difference – based on the respondents’ self-declared level of seniority in their company:

For men, Imposter Syndrome rates go DOWN when they reach the most senior levels. For women, those rates go UP. Click To Tweet

Subsequent qualitative interviews found the key driver for this is that men see their promotion as external validation – approval and evidence that they are good enough. So they don’t feed the self-talk stories that trigger Imposter Syndrome as much.

Women, on the other hand, tended to see their promotion as meaning they now had to prove themselves even more, as the spotlight was on them and people were waiting for them to fail.

To prevent this, companies need to work with women to address potential Imposter Syndrome issues, as part of their promotion on-boarding support.

There was another key finding when it comes to women in senior roles:

Businesses Are Losing Their Best Women Leaders
The research showed that women are far more likely to leave their current employer to seek a promotion than to apply internally, because of the fear of public failure.

With an external move, no one needed to know if they didn’t get the role. With an internal promotion, they felt they would have to leave, if they didn’t get it.

Whereas men tended to be more competitive, putting themselves forward for promotions and opportunities to shine, women tended to wait for these to ‘happen to them’.

The data showed that, in the past year:

30% of female respondents had chosen not to volunteer for opportunities in the past year that would have allowed them to shine
45% had not applied for a promotion they felt they deserved
61% were less likely to speak up with their best ideas or controversial opinions, for fear of being criticised

The research makes it clear why it is so easy for high-achieving women to be overlooked for promotions and golden opportunities.

The evidence points to the fact that Imposter Syndrome is a key factor in the gender pay gap and gender-related glass ceilings, even in companies that are working hard towards equality. And it also explains why positive discrimination and quotas can make it worse.

"To fix the gender pay gap, we must first address Imposter Syndrome."

Clare Josa

Lead Researcher on the 2019 Imposter Syndrome Research Study

& author of Ditching Imposter Syndrome

For the full White Paper on the research study results, register free here:

And if you’re interested in talking with Clare Josa, who led the research study, about how Imposter Syndrome might be affecting your business, you can book a call with her here.

Clare Josa's new book: Ditching Imposter Syndrome is published by Beyond Alchemy Publishing on 30th September 2019.

To find out more and get your copy, click here.

The Curse Of Comparisonitis – And Its BFF: Imposter Syndrome

Soul Led Leaders

The 2019 Imposter Syndrome Research Study showed that 77% of women and 60% of men who struggled with Imposter Syndrome regularly compare themselves to others and judge themselves to be lacking, even if the external evidence shows the opposite. These figures were even higher when I looked at just entrepreneurs, who tend to spend more time online and on social media, so have more opportunity to compare themselves with others.

Social media is full of glossy images of people looking their best, doing amazing things and wanting the world to validate and accept them, even if that’s not our conscious intention when we share such posts. And the social media sites’ algorithms mean that the images that show up in our feed are the most popular – so we’re not just comparing our 6am-start bags-under-the-eyes grogginess with someone else’s ‘highlight reel’.

We compare our lives with the algorithm’s curated list of the best of someone else’s. It’s far too easy to find ourselves lacking.

And this can be a massive trigger for Imposter Syndrome.

Despite what we might think about the world of internet trolls, our harshest critic is still the one inside us. And that’s when Imposter Syndrome comes out to play.

Comparisonitis forgets that we don’t see the struggle and stress others went through, so we make assumptions about how easy it was for them. Imposter Syndrome gets us writing our own success off as luck, whilst we conclude that they must have talent to be achieving so much.

When we compare ourselves to others and judge ourselves to be lacking, it can cause us to give up on our dreams. Our confidence nose dives, we pour a swimming pool full of ice-cold water onto the fire of our ambitions and we grind to a halt on taking inspired action. We are subconsciously giving our power over what we will achieve and create to the person we compared ourselves to, despite the fact that they never asked for it.

You'll never achieve your dreams while you're obsessing about what others are doing - or what they might think of you.Click To Tweet

The more you deal with your hidden inner blocks and secret confidence-trashers, the less you’ll feel the need to compare yourself with others;
and the less it will bother you, even if you do.

Comparisonitis causes us to forget what we can do, dismissing our achievements with a single ‘but’.

Each of us is on a unique journey, but it takes courage and perspective to see that. Comparing ourselves to others drains our energy and confidence. It can even cause us to secretly resent their success, feeling that life is somehow not ‘fair’, triggering the biochemical reactions of the emotion better known as ‘jealousy’ in your body, the self-talk thoughts, and the emotions that go with that mind-story.

It also makes us more likely to self-sabotage, because those judgemental mind-stories programme us to believe that success is ‘bad’ and will cause resentment and jealousy from others; that they’ll no longer like us if we succeed. The stories we tell ourselves about others make us worry that others may say the same about us, if we allow ourselves to be successful. This can be a key factor for someone not applying for a promotion or opportunity they know they deserve, or from not ‘owning’ their achievements after a successful project and attributing them to the wider team.

When you are truly comfortable in your own skin, the need to compare yourself to others disappears. Is it finally time to ditch Imposter Syndrome? Click To Tweet

The ability for others to unwittingly press the buttons you have cleared out disappears. And you reach a stage where secret jealousy and resentment no longer play a part in your 3 a.m. dialogue.

On those few occasions when it does, it’s always possible to turn it into an opportunity to listen to your inner wisdom and make changes.

My book Ditching Imposter Syndrome guides you through exactly how to do this. And I show you exactly how to set yourself free from the curse of comparisonitis on page 202. So if you’re hungry to finally feel good enough and to become the leader you were born to be, make sure you’ve got your copy of Ditching Imposter Syndrome here.

Soul Led Leaders

For Leaders On A Mission To Make A Difference With Their Hearts, Not Just Their Heads

1. The Original 1978 Imposter Syndrome Research

2. Men And Women Handle It Differently