Ever felt like a fraud?
That you are not quite who people think you are? That you are making it up as you go?
In 62 studies with over 14,161 participants, the prevalence rates of impostor syndrome varied widely from 9% to 82%, largely depending on the screening tool and cutoff used to assess the symptoms. You can geek out on the stats here.
It shows up across genders, ages, and industries. It has been linked to burnout, low job satisfaction, anxiety, and depression. Which makes sense. How we see ourselves filters into every part of life.
You often see it in people who are growing. Entrepreneurs. Coaches. Founders. People building something while still learning. People wondering if they should be charging for work they are still learning to deliver.
I hear this a lot in the business space, especially in seasons of change. When someone is reshaping their service, adjusting their ideal client, or offering something new, this voice creeps in.
It sounds like:
“You are not ready.”
“You are not the expert.”
“They are going to figure you out.”
And I get it. I have had those thoughts too. When I first started working as a Demartini Method Facilitator, I remember thinking, “Why would anyone listen to me?” and then telling myself I did not have anything to say anyway.
That feeling, the one that says you are not qualified or that you will be caught out, can take over. And most of the time, it is not coming from what is actually happening. It is coming from what you are not yet willing to see in yourself.
Let’s break this down into a few common versions of impostor syndrome. And more importantly, what to shift.
1. “I am not a real expert.”
You tell yourself you do not know enough. That there is too much you still need to learn. And because of that, you downplay everything you already know.
One definition of impostor syndrome is “feeling inadequate even when evidence shows otherwise.”
It is not that you are not capable. It is that your focus is stuck on the gap, not the ground you have already covered.
Gold Nugget of Wisdom: Start with what you do know. Keep working behind the scenes to build skill. Be around people who are further along, not to compare but to learn through proximity. Growth is not about knowing everything. It is about being in motion.
2. “Everyone else knows more than me.”
That may be true. But it is not the reason to shrink.
There will always be someone ahead. That has nothing to do with your value.
The challenge is when you let comparison stop you from contributing. You hold back. Then feel like you do not belong. That feeling builds, and soon the label sticks.
Gold Nugget of Wisdom: Use the mirror. If you see something in someone else, ask where that same quality lives in you. Do not stop at the first answer. Keep asking until it lands. You are not here to replicate anyone. You are here to own what is already there.
3. “I will be exposed as a fraud.”
This one often comes with a deeper belief. Not just “I might get caught,” but “I do not deserve to be here.”
Perfectionism feeds this. The belief that success should be flawless. That credibility means no missteps. That clients should only ever see the polished version of you.
Gold Nugget of Wisdom: Start by asking what it has cost you to hold that belief. What have you avoided because of it? What has it kept you from offering, saying, or owning?
When you demand a one-sided version of life, you will always feel off-balance. Let go of the illusion that you need to be perfect. See the drawbacks of the fantasy. Notice what shifts when you stop chasing that version of success.
Impostor syndrome is not just about doubt. It is feedback. It shows you where your view of yourself is still catching up to the work you are doing in the world.
Time to shake off the shackles of your misperceptions and remember you’re not bound to succeed, you’re bound to live up to the light within you.
Shine bright stardust,
Tanya Cross
Leadership Coach & The Coaches Coach
Master Certified Demartini Method Facilitator
BAppSoSc (Counselling)
