Category: Business

The Imposter Syndrome, the persistent feeling of inadequacy despite evident success, is a common challenge among coachees as well as coaches. This psychological pattern leads individuals to doubt their abilities and fear being exposed as a “fraud,” even when they are highly competent and accomplished.

The Imposter syndrome often manifests through:
Perfectionism
Setting extremely high standards and feeling inadequate when these standards are not met.

Attribution of Success to External Factors
Believing success is due to luck or other external factors rather than one’s own abilities.

Fear of Failure
Avoiding challenges due to the fear of being exposed as incompetent.

Downplaying Accomplishments
Dismissing praise and undervaluing one’s achievements.

It’s interesting to observe how Coaches, whether in the context of executive, career, life, or performance coaching, play a pivotal role in addressing and balancing the effects of imposter syndrome.

A couple of years ago, I had a coaching session that ended up being deeply moving for us both. We were meeting for the second time. The coachee started out by chattering about a number of things that seemed unrelated to any goal, and I found myself getting impatient. After a few minutes, I interrupted and said something like :  
« I am still not clear about what you would like to get out of this conversation. We don’t have many sessions together, and I want to make sure that we have a discussion today that you consider very, very important. How can we do that ?»

To start, Coaching for individuals covers an infinite range of issues, especially as each person is unique in his or her being, experiences and projects.

Recurring themes in coaching requests from individuals: a better work-life balance, developing self-confidence or self-esteem, defining a new life project, resolving a relationship conflict, managing stress better, developing your interpersonal and communication skills, rediscovering motivation.