You’re NOT the imposter you think you are!

Key Steps to release the shackles of “not good enough.”

 

Have you ever caught yourself dismissing your achievements as luck, timing or other people’s generosity – fearing that one day you’ll be “found out”? If so, you’re in good company. Research shows that up to 70% of high-achieving professionals experience imposter syndrome at some point in their careers. It’s fueled by excessively high standards, being too hard on yourself and fearing that you’re not good enough. It’s that insidious inner voice that whispers, “What do you think you are doing here? You’re not good enough.”

 

Psychologist Dr Valerie Young, a leading expert on imposter syndrome, identified five distinct types. These patterns are not random, they’re shaped by our brain’s natural negativity bias, early experiences and social conditioning. By naming and understanding them, we begin to interrupt the cycle of self-doubt, retrain our inner narrative and take Key Steps into our authentic power to…

‘be the difference that makes the difference.’

1. The Perfectionist

Belief: “If it’s not flawless, I’ve failed.”

Pattern: Sets impossibly high standards, magnifies even the smallest mistakes and equates imperfection with incompetence.

Impact: Chronic dissatisfaction and a diminished ability to savour success.
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Your Key Steps

1. 1. Set “good enough” standards. Research in behavioural science shows that progress, not perfection, is what drives motivation and resilience. Decide what is realistically required before you begin.
   2. Celebrate milestones. Our brains release dopamine when we acknowledge progress — so keep a “done list” and reward yourself for each step forward.

 

2. The Expert

Belief: “I should know everything before I can be credible.”

Pattern: Hesitates to act until 100% prepared, downplays existing competence, and delays sharing insights.

Impact: Paralysis by analysis and missed opportunities.
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Your Key Steps

1. 1. Adopt a growth mindset. Neuroscience confirms that expertise develops through neuroplasticity — learning by doing rewires the brain. You don’t need mastery to begin; mastery comes because you begin.
   2. Take imperfect action. Commit to “learning in motion.” Real confidence builds from action, not preparation alone.

 

3. The Soloist

Belief: “If I ask for help, I’ll be exposed.”

Pattern: Equates competence with independence, resists collaboration and sees interdependence as weakness.

Impact: Burnout, isolation and missed synergy.
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Your Key Steps

1. 1. Reframe asking for help as smart strategy. Social neuroscience shows that trust and oxytocin increase when we collaborate. Great leaders co-create rather than carry the load alone.
   2. Experiment with micro-collaboration. Start by delegating one task or seeking input from one colleague. Then notice how capability and connection both expand.

 

4. The Natural Genius

Belief: “If I were truly smart, this would come easily.”

Pattern: Believes ability should be innate, feels fraudulent when learning takes effort and avoids challenges.

Impact: Limited growth and frequently retreats to the comfort zone.
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Your Key Steps

1. 1. Normalise effort. From sports to science, we know that high performers succeed because of deliberate practise. Struggle signals growth, not inadequacy.
   2. Reframe difficulty as growth. When the brain is challenged, new neural pathways form. Every learning curve is proof you’re expanding your potential.

 

5. The Superhuman

Belief: “I must excel in every role I take on.”

Pattern: Strives to outperform in career, family and community and so on, all simultaneously, equating rest or limitation with failure.

Impact: Chronic stress, poor boundaries, and eventual exhaustion.
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Your Key Steps

1. 1. Prioritise what matters most. Cognitive load theory reminds us: our brains can only process so much. Excellence requires focus, not spreading ourselves thin.
   2. Honour rest and recovery. Recovery is not indulgence; it’s leveraging neuroscience. Sleep, pauses and boundaries replenish the prefrontal cortex, enabling sustained high performance.

 

Imposter syndrome wears many masks – perfection, expertise, independence, ease or overachievement – but beneath them lies the same fear, “I’m not enough.” By recognising your type (I’ve had to overcome being the perfectionist expert overachiever) and applying targeted strategies, you can disrupt the inner critic, harness your brain’s natural capacity for growth and take Key Steps into grounded confidence and…

 

‘be the difference that makes the difference.’