Imposter-Syndrome: Why doubt yourself?

You have a good job, you’re engaged, competent and you’re getting a lot of positive feedback. Still there’s this lingering feeling, your don’t deserve the success. Let me reassure you: you’re not alone. Many people—especially, but not exclusively, women—know this feeling of “not being good enough,” even when there’s no reason at all to feel that way. This phenomen has a name: it’s called the Imposter Syndrome. In this blog post, I’ll explain to you what it means.

What is the Imposter-Syndrome?

Imposter Syndrome—also known as the fraud or imposter phenomenon—describes the feeling of not having earned one’s own success. Women affected by it often believe they’ve only achieved their position by chance or luck or quota, not through their skills or performance. Instead of celebrating their achievements, they are frequently haunted by the thought: “I’m actually not good enough, and soon everyone will find out.”

Typical thoughts associated with the Imposter Syndrome include:

• I only got the job by luck.
• Ohters totally overestimate me.
• Soon, people will find out I’m actually not capable.
• I need to work even harder, so I don’t stand out in a negative way.

Even when everything on the outside looks like success, many women internally feel like frauds. This can lead to pressure, self-doubt, and even fear of being exposed. The most absurd part? It often affects women who are actually highly competent, hardworking, and committed. They just don’t recognize their own value. Instead of overestimating themselves, they tend to downplay their abilities.

Why Women often Struggle with Self-Doubt

Women are significantly more likely to experience Imposter Syndrome. This is largely due to social conditioning and structural factors. From an early age, girls are often taught to hold back, not to boast, and to be modest—to avoid putting themselves in the spotlight. Boys, on the other hand, are encouraged to be confident and to showcase their achievements.

On top of that, women face high expectations: they’re supposed to be well-educated, kind, resilient, and socially engaged—ideally all at once. Constantly juggling these conflicting roles can lead many women to question whether they’re truly living up to them. They tend to accept criticism more readily than they voice it, while often downplaying or dismissing praise. All of this makes it quite difficult to build a healthy sense of self-worth.

Many mothers are also familiar with the imposter feeling: when their child makes a mistake, they blame themselves. When the child succeeds, they attribute it to luck or outside factors. In the end, many women are constantly too hard on themselves—even when they have every reason to be proud.

What are the Consequences of the Imposter Syndrome?

Imposter Syndrome often leads women to constantly put themselves under pressure. They strive for perfection and fear making mistakes. This internal strain doesn’t come without consequences: over time, it can lead to chronic stress, exhaustion, sleep problems, and even depression or burnout.

Naturally, Imposter Syndrome also affects the workplace. In many industries and leadership levels, men are still overrepresented. While male leaders are often seen as the norm, women in similar positions are more likely to question their legitimacy—even when they are highly qualified.

The feeling that they have to prove themselves twice as much adds even more pressure. Many women also hesitate to take on new, more challenging tasks, don’t ask for higher salaries, or shy away from talking about their successes. This is often due to a fear of being criticized or perceived as overly confident. As a result, they may not reach the levels of success their skills actually qualify them for.

It becomes a vicious cycle of self-doubt and performance pressure—one that can significantly hinder personal and professional growth. Many end up struggling with stress, anxiety, and, in too many cases, burnout.

How can Women overcome the Imposter Syndrome?

The most important step is to recognize the problem and take it seriously. Many women don’t even realize that their internal experience has a name—and that they’re not alone in feeling this way. Becoming aware of Imposter Syndrome helps identify those harmful thought patterns. When you catch yourself thinking things like “I’m not good enough,” you can begin to challenge and reframe those thoughts.

It’s also helpful to acknowledge your own achievements—keeping a success journal or taking time for regular self-reflection can be great tools. Conversations with mentors, colleagues, or friends can provide valuable perspective as well. Often, others can see our strengths more clearly than we do ourselves—and help us stop minimizing our accomplishments.

Additional Strategies to deal with the Imposter Syndrome 

1. Recognize and Challenge Certain Thoughts 

Pay close attention to your inner voice—especially your biggest critic, the “Judge” (your top saboteur), when it says things like “I’m not good enough” or “I just got lucky.” Ask yourself: Is that really true—or just a feeling? Look for actual evidence to support or refute what your inner voice is telling you. Stick to the facts.

2. Just say “Thank You”

When someone gives you a compliment, simply say “thank you” and leave it at that—no downplaying, no disclaimers. Try it out. The more you do it, the easier it gets—and you’ll notice how good it feels to truly accept recognition.

3. Ask for and Accept Feedback

Reach out to colleagues, friends—or ideally, your “Personal Board of Directors”—for honest feedback. The more diverse the sources, the easier it becomes to accept what you hear. And remember: Don’t just absorb the criticism—acknowledge the praise too, and resist the urge to minimize it.

4. Connect with other Women

Talk to other women about your self-doubt. You’ll likely be surprised by how many share the same feelings. Speaking about it helps ease the burden—and creates connection and solidarity.

5. Set Realistic Goals

Perfectionism is practically Imposter Syndrome’s best friend. So: set achievable goals and allow yourself to make mistakes—they’re part of any learning process. We all tend to compare ourselves, often to the polished, filtered versions of others we see on social media. Ask yourself: How much of that is even real?

6. Seek Professional Support

If your self-doubt and confidence gap becomes overwhelming, professional coaching can help you break free from negative beliefs and build real self-confidence.

Why does speaking openly about Imposter Syndrome matter so much?

Many women believe they’re alone in their self-doubt—but that only reinforces those doubts even more. Speaking openly about it can be incredibly relieving and shows: even highly successful women experience this kind of insecurity.

By breaking the taboo around the topic, we create space for mutual support—especially among women. It fosters a sense of solidarity where it’s okay to talk about doubts without being seen as weak. This not only helps individual women feel less burdened, but also opens the door for structural change—such as workplaces where achievements are made more visible and recognition is actively encouraged.

In episode 005 of my podcast #HerPerspective: Women Who Inspire, I talked about this with Sabine Hammer. Sabine is a highly accomplished woman. Her journey took her from a banking apprenticeship in a small town—with no academic background—to the top levels of European management at Lenovo. Today, she leads a division as Sales Director for Lenovo in Saudi Arabia. And despite her success, she has repeatedly struggled with Imposter Syndrome—or, as she calls it, the “Confidence Gap.” In the podcast, she shares how she deals with it.

Conclusion

Imposter Syndrome affects many women—regardless of age, industry, or career level. It’s not a sign of weakness, nor an illness, but a widespread psychological phenomenon. The more we talk about it, the easier it becomes to let go of limiting beliefs and recognize our own strength.