The Impostor Syndrome & Its Impact on Creativity

The impostor syndrome affects both novice and experienced professionals. Although often associated with a lack of self-confidence, its impact runs much deeper. In this article, we will explore how the impostor syndrome affects creativity, what scientific research says about it, and how to cope with it.

What is the Impostor Syndrome?

The impostor syndrome is a phenomenon characterized by the internal belief that our successes are the result of chance, luck, or manipulation, rather than actual competence. People affected by this syndrome live in fear of being "exposed" as frauds. The concept was first described in 1978 by psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes, who studied successful women suffering from chronic doubts about their achievements.

According to research published in the International Journal of Behavioral Science (2011), as many as 70% of people experience the impostor syndrome at least once in their lives.

How Does the Impostor Syndrome Affect Creativity?

Fear of Evaluation

Creativity requires experimentation, risk-taking, and making mistakes. Individuals with the impostor syndrome avoid these activities because they fear failure and embarrassment. As a result, their ideas remain in the realm of thought and rarely translate into action.

An experiment published in Personality and Individual Differences (2018) showed that individuals with a higher level of impostor syndrome were less likely to present innovative ideas in a group, even though their solutions were rated as valuable.

Perfectionism

People with the impostor syndrome are often perfectionists – they believe that every task must be performed flawlessly. They repeatedly revise their projects, unable to finish them. This approach hinders the entry into the so-called flow state, a moment of complete engagement that fosters creativity.

Reduced Sense of Agency

The impostor syndrome lowers the sense of self-efficacy, which translates into less initiative in generating new ideas or initiating projects. According to a study by Miro (2021), 42% of employees in highly innovative environments admit to experiencing the impostor syndrome – despite high performance at work.

Why is This Important?

Modern organizations increasingly expect creative attitudes from employees, not only in innovation departments but also in everyday problem-solving. If an employee suffers from the impostor syndrome, they avoid speaking up, hide their ideas, and do not engage in innovation.

In teams, the impostor syndrome can lead to:

• less sharing of ideas due to fear of judgment,

• low initiative,

• excessive comparison to other team members,

• difficulty accepting praise or promotions.

What Can Be Done?

Building a Culture of Psychological Safety

When people are not afraid of mistakes and know that their voice matters – it is easier for them to step out of the shadows. Leaders should model openness to failures and reward not only results but also the courage to bring new ideas.

Education on the Impostor Syndrome

The more we know about the mechanisms of this phenomenon, the easier it is to notice it – and work on changing thought patterns. The change is worth starting with workshops with a facilitator, where we will be guided through the change process. Then, it is worth consolidating the change of thinking habits independently so that new thought patterns become second nature to us.

Working on Beliefs

Cognitive-behavioral techniques, coaching, or mentoring can help break negative beliefs about oneself and one's competencies.

The impostor syndrome is not only an individual problem but also an organizational barrier to innovation. When employees hide their abilities for fear of exposure, companies lose innovative potential. The sooner we learn to recognize and counteract this phenomenon, the more open and innovative our teams will be.

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