Feeling like an imposter doesn’t necessarily mean the problem is you.

“How can I tackle imposter syndrome?”

It may be the mother of all work-related questions.

I hear versions of it from people at nearly every stage of their careers—from senior executives leading organizations to people who are relatively new to the working world.

They worry they’re in over their heads. They freeze in high-stakes situations and suddenly can’t access things they know. They sit in meetings convinced they have nothing worthwhile to contribute. They fear that sooner or later, someone is going to discover that they aren’t as capable as everyone seems to think they are.

Sometimes the feeling follows them home. Sometimes it wakes them up at night. Sometimes it grows louder as the weekend ends and the next workweek approaches.

We have a familiar name for experiences like these: imposter syndrome.

But feeling like an imposter doesn’t tell us what’s causing the feeling.

Before You Try to Fix Imposter Syndrome, Understand It

Much of the conventional advice about imposter syndrome assumes that the problem lies in how you see yourself.

Change your mindset. Remind yourself of your accomplishments. Stop comparing yourself to other people. Talk with colleagues and discover that everyone feels this way sometimes.

Some of that can help.

But there’s a problem with assuming from the outset that your perception is distorted:

What if some part of what you’re noticing is real?

Maybe you actually don’t know how to do something you’ve been asked to do yet.

Maybe you’ve recently stepped into a role that requires capabilities you’re still developing.

Maybe expectations are unclear, contradictory, or constantly changing.

Maybe your manager provides plenty of criticism and very little useful feedback.

Maybe you’re surrounded by people who sound extraordinarily confident while you’re much more aware of what you don’t know.

Maybe you’ve been given responsibility without the authority, resources, information, or support necessary to carry it.

Or maybe you’re more capable than you believe and something about this particular environment—or your own history—is making that difficult to feel.

Those are very different situations.

Calling all of them “imposter syndrome” can make them sound like the same problem.

They aren’t.

Your Work Environment May Be Part of the Story

Imposter syndrome doesn’t happen in a vacuum.

Some workplaces make uncertainty easier to tolerate. People can ask questions. Learning is expected. Mistakes can be discussed. Feedback helps people understand what they’re doing well and where they need to develop.

Other environments make not knowing feel dangerous.

Standards may be unclear. Expectations may shift. Competition may be intense. Managers may lead through intimidation. People may be rewarded for appearing certain rather than thinking carefully. Bias—conscious or unconscious—may shape whose competence is assumed and whose is questioned.

In environments like these, it can become difficult to determine:

Am I struggling because I don’t belong here—or because this is a difficult place to belong?

The answer may not be entirely one or the other.

But asking the question moves us beyond treating every uncomfortable feeling as evidence of a confidence problem.

Sometimes You Really Are Still Learning

There’s another possibility that imposter syndrome advice can inadvertently erase:

You might actually have things to learn.

That isn’t the same as being an imposter.

New jobs, promotions, stretch assignments, leadership roles, unfamiliar industries, and increasingly complex responsibilities can put us in situations where we don’t yet know how to do everything we’re being asked to do.

There can be an uncomfortable gap between who you already know how to be at work and who the role now requires you to become.

That gap may represent growth.

It may also be too large, poorly supported, or genuinely unsustainable.

Automatically reassuring yourself that you’re perfectly qualified doesn’t help you distinguish between those possibilities.

A more useful place to start is with what’s actually happening: What do you know how to do? Where are you still learning? What are you being expected to know? And what support do you have when you don’t know something?

Why “Fake It ’Til You Make It” Can Feed the Beast

One of the most common prescriptions for imposter syndrome is also one of the strangest:

Fake it ’til you make it.

Think about what we’re asking someone to do.

You’re already worried that other people believe you’re more capable or confident than you really are.

And the solution is…to become more convincing at appearing capable and confident?

For some people, that may get them through a presentation or difficult meeting.

But as a broader strategy, it can reinforce the very experience we’re trying to change.

Many people already feel they’re performing something at work—certainty, enthusiasm, ease, belonging, even a professional identity that doesn’t entirely feel like theirs.

Adding another layer of performance can make it harder to know what is real.

Putting Imposter Syndrome in Its Place

The goal doesn’t have to be convincing yourself that every doubt you have is false.

It can be understanding what the doubt is made of.

What belongs to the present situation?

What belongs to the environment?

What represents something you genuinely need to learn?

What expectations are reasonable—and which may not be?

What gets activated in you when you don’t know, make a mistake, receive criticism, or find yourself surrounded by people who seem more certain than you feel?

And what evidence do you have about how you’re actually doing?

This kind of understanding doesn’t always make the feeling disappear immediately.

Sometimes you still have to walk into the meeting tomorrow. You still have to give the presentation, make the decision, answer the question, or tolerate not knowing something you wish you knew.

That’s where practical coping matters too. There are ways to prepare for high-stakes moments, manage the feelings they bring up, and respond in ways that are authentic rather than simply pretending not to feel them.

Over time, though, the question can begin to shift from:

How do I stop feeling like an imposter?

to:

What is this feeling telling me about myself, my work, and the situation I’m in?

Those questions can lead to very different answers.

And once you understand what you’re actually dealing with, you have a much better chance of deciding what would help.

Moving Forward—Without Faking It

Imposter syndrome can feel intensely personal.

Sometimes part of the work is internal: developing a more accurate view of your capabilities, understanding old patterns, and learning to tolerate the vulnerability of not always knowing.

Sometimes something outside you needs attention: clearer expectations, better feedback, additional experience or support, different boundaries, or a work environment that asks something more sustainable of you.

Often, it’s both.

“Fake it ’til you make it” can feed the beast of imposter syndrome. You don’t necessarily need to become better at faking it. You may need to understand what you’re experiencing well enough to know what would actually help.

When imposter syndrome is affecting how you feel about yourself or how you function at work, therapy can help you understand what’s contributing to it, develop ways to manage the feelings it brings up, and figure out what you may need.

Learn more about Work & Career Therapy