Let’s take a quick look at
Emma Watson, shall we?
It’s fair to say she’s killed it
at, well, everything. You
know, between graduating
from the prestigious Brown
University, slaying in the
remake of Beauty and the
Beast and her work with the
UN that includes that game-
changing speech on gender
equality. So why, then, in a
recent interview, did she say
she feels like ‘an imposter’,
undeserving of her success?
Imposter Syndrome:
the confidence-zapping
phenomenon that causes
successful, competent women
to doubt their abilities and
feel like absolute frauds in
the workplace. The term was
f irst coined in the 1970s and
recent research from Ghent
University shows women are
f lying under the radar at work
for fear of being ‘exposed’.A crying shame, no?
‘Everyone loses when bright
people play small,’ insists
imposter syndrome speaker
and expert Valerie Young.
It’s time we bid farewell
to self-doubt and be our own
goddamn cheerleaders at
work. Here are Young’s top
tips for self-confidence:NORMALISE YOUR FEELINGS
‘This may sound harsh, but
the very first thing you need
to realise is, you’re not that
special! The next time you
have an imposter feeling,
remind yourself that almost
everyone has experienced
feelings of fraudulence –
many of them award-winning
actors and authors, CEOs,
and PhDs. It is completely
common for competent
people to suffer self-doubt,
so talk about it and make it
the norm.’REFRAME YOUR THINKING
‘Say you’ve just landed the
job of your dreams. An
imposter would walk into
the office on their first day
and think, Everyone is so
amazing, I’ll never be able to
match up. A non-imposter
would think, Everyone is so
amazing. I’m so lucky to get
to work with them – I’m going
to learn so much. Think like
a non-imposter and in time
you’ll start to feel like one.’FOCUS ON YOUR POSITIVES
‘The day before you have a
big presentation, you might
be worrying that you’re not
very articulate. The thing
is, maybe you’re not! ButSILENCE
YOUR
INNER
FR AUD
POLICE
you might be a great leader
or fantastic at motivating
people. No one is perfect, so
forget your failings and focus
on the things you’re good at.’KEEP GOING REGARDLESS
‘If you sit around waiting for
the day you feel 100 per cent
confident to ask for that pay
rise or go for that promotion,
you’re going to be waiting a
long time. You need to change
your thinking and also your
behaviour now – your feelings
will slowly catch up to this
new non-imposter way of
being’ until it’s normal.
When in doubt, remember
you’ve earnt every bit of your
success – own it. >GETTY IMAGES; ISTOCK
COSMOPOLITAN June 2017 83
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