People with 鈥渋mpostor syndrome鈥�, who feel underqualified for their jobs, tend to make better employees because they compensate by striving to be likeable, empathetic and collaborative, new research suggests.
The term impostor syndrome was coined in 1978 by two psychologists who studied women with illustrious careers. These women and thought they had risen to their distinguished positions through luck or error.
These impostor thoughts have since been found to affect people from all backgrounds, although they tend to be more common among women and ethnic minority groups.
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Impostor syndrome can be detrimental to a person鈥檚 well-being, as it is associated with anxiety and low self-esteem. It has long been assumed to hinder work performance too as a consequence, but no one has experimentally verified this
at the MIT Sloan School of Management in Cambridge, Massachusetts, measured levels of impostor syndrome among 155 employees at an investment advisory firm in the US. The participants were presented with written statements like 鈥淎t work, others think I have more knowledge or ability than I think I do鈥� and asked to rate how frequently they thought they applied.
Tewfik then asked their supervisors to rate the participants鈥� performance and interpersonal skills by asking how much they agreed with sentences like 鈥淭his employee creates effective working relationships with colleagues鈥�. Employees with impostor syndrome were generally rated as having better interpersonal skills than their more confident peers and were considered just as competent.
鈥淧eople with impostor syndrome were basically the ones you鈥檇 want to work with,鈥� says Tewfik.
In another experiment, Tewfik asked 70 trainee doctors to take the case history of a patient with a migraine or a sexually transmitted infection, played by an actor. Those with higher levels of impostor syndrome as measured by questionnaires were just as likely to make correct diagnoses as those without. Video recordings of the interactions that were independently assessed revealed that the doctors with impostor syndrome were more likely to offer statements recognising the patient鈥檚 pain, ask follow-up questions, make eye contact, nod, use open hand gestures and speak with a receptive, agreeable tone.
People with impostor syndrome may have better interpersonal skills because they unconsciously try to compensate for their self-perceived ineptitude by being personable and easy to get along with, says Tewfik. 鈥淢aybe it is this silver lining that does actually contribute to success in some respects,鈥� she says.
at the University of Queensland in Australia believes impostor syndrome can be positive, 鈥渋n the sense that if you feel like you need to do more to make up for your perceived shortcomings, then it is going to drive performance and career outcomes鈥�. However, this desire to prove oneself risks leading to stress and overwork, he says.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no neat takeaway message of 鈥榚mbrace your impostor thoughts!鈥�,鈥� says Tewfik, 鈥渂ecause we know there are detriments to your well-being. I think the work now is on trying to figure out how we can downregulate the anxiety that comes from it so we can start to fully embrace the interpersonal upside.鈥�
Academy of Management Journal
