Impostor-Syndrome

Please read the following quotations:

• A: The exaggerated esteem in which my lifework is held makes me very ill at ease. I feel compelled to think of myself as an involuntary swindler.
• B: I had enormous self-image problems and very low self-esteem, which I hid behind obsessive writing and performing. I really felt so utterly inadequate.
• C: I still sometimes feel like a loser kid in high school and I just have to pick myself up and tell myself that I'm a superstar every morning so that I can get through this day and be for my fans what they need for me to be.

Does it sound familiar to you? Do you sometimes have similar thoughts?

• A feeling that others have a mistakenly high view of your abilities
• A fear of being exposed or found out

Then you have fallen victim to the Impostor syndrome.

Your are not alone:

If you would like to find out, whether you might be suffering from impostor syndrom, try this link to the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale and scoring instruction (CIPS):

Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (PDF)

How to overcome the Impostor-Syndrome

When suffering from imposter syndrome your self-assessment with the SINCOE-questionaire probably will be severly afflicted. If you want your innnovation competence scores to be more valid, perhaps you would like to try some of these tips and remedies:

• Talk about your insecurities with trusted colleagues and/or mentors.
• Find a reliable source for objective assessment of your abilities.
• Identify and exchange automatic negative thoughts regarding your talents.
• Don't always believe everything you think! Sometimes believe other people's perceptions more than your own self-criticism.
• Write down your daily balance sheet, even small successes!

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