What if we’ve been going about imposter syndrome all wrong?
Typically, imposter syndrome is framed as something an individual should mentally tackle, but there’s something much larger underneath these personal feelings of insecurity, doubt, and fear. The concept itself (described as “imposter phenomenon”) was coined in a psychology study from 1978. What was that study about, why has imposter syndrome become so popular, and what have we learned since then?
I sought answers from Jodi-Ann Burey, a speaker, writer, and podcaster working in the intersections of race, culture, and health equity. If you have feelings that are commonly attributed to imposter syndrome, Jodi-Ann suggests asking yourself questions to better identify the root cause of these “imposter-y” sensations—whether what you’re feeling is simply a natural human response to acclimating to a new challenge or, more seriously, a indicator that systemic discrimination needs to be addressed.
00:00 Have you felt this?
00:52 Meet Jodi-Ann Burey
01:20 Where does this word come from?
01:50 Here' what the study says
03:41 Who is this affecting?
05:48 How to handle the real feelings
07:27 Ask yourself these questions
09:45 How do I share this information with others?
10:21 How to (really) stop imposter syndrome
This video originally published on HBR's Ascend YouTube Channel in August, 2022.
Learn more about Jodi-Ann Burey’s work:
https://jodiannburey.com/
https://www.blackcancer.co/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaburey/
Produced by Andy Robinson, Christine Liu, Kelsey Alpaio
Video and Editing by Andy Robinson
Animation and Design by Alex Belser and Karen Player
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