By Kim Morgan & Geoff Watts (United Kingdom)
‘Impostor Syndrome’ is the feeling that we are not as good as others think and that this will be found out. Many people feel this way and, in fact, when we give case study presentations about this topic, it is not uncommon for members of the audience to come and see us afterwards exclaiming ‘You were talking about me!’
Some classic symptoms of Impostor Syndrome include:
- Having an inability to internalise your accomplishments.
- Feeling that other people have an overinflated view of you.
- Attributing any success you have to luck or just being in the right place at the right time.
- Being fearful of being ‘found out’.
- Looking more at what you can’t do, rather than valuing what you can do.
Source: iCN Issue 10 (Business Coaching); pages 24-25
About Kim Morgan & Geoff Watts
Kim Morgan is the owner and Director of Barefoot Coaching Ltd. Kim was awarded Coaching Person of the Year 2012 and is a visiting research fellow on coaching at the University of Chester.
Geoff Watts is a leadership and performance coach and is a regular keynote speaker about coaching, collaboration and change. He is a member of the ICF, NCP and ABP.
Together they have co-authored The Coach’s Casebook: Mastering the twelve traits that trap us (published February 2015).
