4 Ways to Combat Imposter Syndrome on Your Team

Managers are in an important position to help employees who may be wrestling with imposter syndrome. In this piece, the authors outline four steps managers can take: 1) Look for red flags. Know the windows of vulnerability when these feelings will most likely be present, and look for unsustainable work habits that usually result in burnout. 2) Frame performance, growth, and development in more objective terms rather than by competitive rank and status. Performance feedback, both formal and informal, can be excellent opportunities to dispel uncertainties about expectations and misnomers about the employee’s “standing” in the organization. 3) Assign mentors wisely. If you’re pairing one of your employees with a mentor, consider individuals outside of the team, who understand the context but have no evaluative relationship with the employee. 4) Share your own professional insecurities. Research shows that leaders who are humble and open in this way build the self-efficacy of their followers.