Impostor Syndrome in Executives: Why Feeling Like a Fraud Doesn't Mean You Are One

By Sabine Bright, LICSW · Psychotherapist in Boston · Updated October 2026

You've hit every target. The board trusts you. Your team looks to you for answers. And still, a quiet voice insists you got here by luck, and that someone is about to find out.

If that sounds familiar, you're in good company. Psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes first described this pattern in 1978, after working with highly accomplished women who believed they weren't truly capable despite a long record of success. They noticed that more achievements didn't weaken the belief [1]. Nearly 50 years of research later, we know much more about who experiences it, what it costs, and what helps.

What is Impostor Syndrome?

Impostor syndrome is the persistent feeling that you don't deserve your success. People who experience it believe they reached their position through luck, timing, or someone else's mistake rather than their own ability, and they live with a quiet fear of being "found out" [7]. Clance and Imes originally called it the impostor phenomenon. They described it as an inner experience of feeling like an intellectual fraud, despite clear evidence of competence [1]. It is not an official psychiatric diagnosis [2]. It is a pattern of thinking and feeling that can range from occasional self-doubt to a constant source of stress.

Common signs include: • Crediting success to luck. Wins feel like flukes, while mistakes feel like proof. • Discounting praise. Positive feedback feels undeserved or is quickly dismissed. • Fear of exposure. You worry that the next project will reveal you aren't as capable as people think. • Over-preparing or putting things off. You either work far beyond what a task requires or delay starting it, both driven by fear of falling short [3]. • Never feeling "enough." Each achievement brings brief relief, then raises the bar for the next one [1].

No One is Immune: Who Impostor Syndrome Affects

Impostor syndrome is common at every level, including the top. Here is what the research shows about who experiences it. • It's widespread, but estimates vary. A systematic review in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found reported rates ranging from 9% to 82%. Most of that range comes from differences in how studies measure it [2]. • It's not just a "women's issue." Although it was first described in women, the same review found it common among both men and women [2]. A study of 242 people in leadership roles found no gender difference at all [3]. • Seniority doesn't make it go away. The review found impostor feelings from adolescence through late-career professionals [2]. • Rates are especially high in ethnic minority groups [2]. In a study of 322 Black, Asian American, and Latino college students, impostor feelings predicted anxiety and depression. Among Black students, they also worsened the mental health toll of discrimination [4]. The takeaway for executives: a promotion to the C-suite doesn't confer immunity. Leaders who are "the only one" in the room by gender, race, or background may be at particular risk.

If this sounds like you: the pattern can be changed without lowering your standards. Schedule your personal 1:1 consultation to understand impostor feelings and lead with greater confidence.

How It Affects Performance

Impostor syndrome rarely shows up as poor results. It shows up in how much those results cost you. The research paints a consistent picture. A major systematic review found that impostor syndrome often occurs alongside anxiety and depression, and is associated with lower job satisfaction, impaired job performance, and burnout [2]. In other words, the work may still get done, but the person doing it is paying a steep internal price. Part of that price comes from how impostor feelings shape the way leaders work. In a study of people in leadership roles, those with strong impostor feelings tended toward both perfectionism and procrastination, two habits that seem like opposites but share the same root: fear of falling short. These leaders also reported feeling more stressed and strained by their jobs [3]. Picture the executive who rewrites a board memo five times, or who puts off a difficult strategic decision until the last possible moment. Both are protecting themselves from being "found out."

Impostor feelings can also change why people stay in their roles. A study of 201 white-collar professionals found that people with stronger impostor feelings were less satisfied at work and less likely to go beyond their formal job description. They were also more likely to stay in a job because leaving felt too risky, not because they wanted to be there. Encouragingly, support from colleagues softened these effects [5].

There is one surprising upside. Research from MIT found that employees with impostor thoughts were rated as more interpersonally effective, because their self-doubt made them more attentive to others, and this came without a measurable cost to performance. But the same research found these thoughts lowered self-esteem [6]. The goal isn't to eliminate self-reflection. It's to keep the curiosity and humility while letting go of the fear.

More Than a Confidence Problem: How Identity Fuels Impostor Syndrome

Impostor feelings aren't only about confidence. They are closely tied to identity: who you believe you are, and whether you feel you belong where you are. When your worth is your work. For many high achievers, competence isn't just something they have; it's who they are. When identity rests on performance, every high-stakes moment feels like a test of your worth rather than a task. Clance and Imes observed that success doesn't reassure people in this pattern; it raises the stakes for the next performance [1].

When you're "the only one." Researchers have increasingly argued that impostor feelings aren't purely an individual trait. A 2020 review in Frontiers in Psychology noted that impostor feelings are often linked to marginalized groups, and argued that environments with underrepresentation, stereotypes, and unequal treatment help trigger them [7]. Being the only woman on the leadership team, the first in your family to reach the executive level, or the only person of color in the boardroom can make the feeling of not belonging very real. Cokley's research suggests that for people of color, impostor feelings can become intertwined with awareness of stereotypes about their group [4].

When your role changes. Stepping into a bigger job, like a first CEO role, an acquisition, or a new industry, stretches your sense of who you are. In those moments, it's natural for the gap between "who I was" and "who I'm expected to be" to feel like proof that you don't belong.

If this sounds familiar, learn more about Identity Crsis & Self‒Doubt

From Self-Doubt to Self-Trust: What Actually Helps

Research on treating impostor syndrome is still limited [2], but several approaches are well supported by what we know about its causes.

For you as a leader: • Name it, and know you're not alone. Impostor feelings thrive in isolation. Recognizing the pattern, and knowing how common it is among accomplished people, takes away some of its power. • Keep an evidence file. Save positive feedback, results, and notes from people you've helped. Cokley recommends this as a direct counter to the anxiety impostor feelings create [4]. • Separate feelings from facts. "I feel like a fraud" is not evidence that you are one. Ask what the actual data on your performance shows. • Watch for perfectionism and procrastination. Set a "good enough" standard for lower-stakes work, and notice when you delay a task because you fear it won't be perfect [3]. • Build a trusted circle. Peer groups, mentors, or an executive coach provide the kind of social support shown to soften the impact of impostor feelings [5]. • Work with a therapist. Impostor syndrome often overlaps with anxiety and depression [2]. A therapist who works with executives can help you untangle your identity from your performance and address what's underneath.

For you as an organization builder: • Look at the environment, not just the individual. Clear promotion criteria, inclusive leadership teams, and consistent feedback reduce the conditions that fuel impostor feelings, especially for people who are underrepresented [7]. • Model it from the top. When senior leaders speak openly about their own self-doubt, it gives others permission to stop hiding theirs.

Frequently asked questions

Is impostor syndrome a mental illness?

No. Impostor syndrome is not an official psychiatric diagnosis [2]. It is a pattern of thoughts and feelings that many capable people experience. However, it frequently occurs alongside anxiety and depression, which are treatable conditions worth addressing [2].

Is impostor syndrome the same as low self-esteem?

They are related but not identical. Impostor syndrome is specifically about doubting that you deserve your success and fearing exposure, often despite strong evidence of competence. Research among leaders shows it is linked to a generally negative self-evaluation, but it is a distinct experience in its own right [3].

Does impostor syndrome go away as you become more successful?

How do I know if I should talk to a therapist?

Often, no. Research has found impostor feelings across all career stages, from adolescence to late-career professionals [2], and Clance and Imes observed that additional achievements did little to change the underlying belief [1]. For many leaders, a promotion simply raises the stakes.

Consider reaching out if impostor feelings are affecting your sleep, your relationships, or your ability to enjoy your success; if you're consistently overworking or avoiding important decisions; or if you notice signs of anxiety or depression. You don't need to be in crisis to benefit from support.

The Bottom Line

Impostor syndrome isn't a sign that you don't belong at the top. It's a common experience among capable people, shaped by personality, identity, and the environments we work in. With the right support, you can keep the humility and drop the fear.

Tired of feeling like a fraud in your own career? I help executives, founders, and high-achieving professionals in Boston quiet the impostor voice and lead with confidence, without sacrificing their health to stay at the top. Schedule your personal 1:1 consultation.

About the author: Sabine Bright, LICSW, is a psychotherapist in Boston who works with executives, founders, high-pressure professionals and dual-career couples on stress, burnout, sleep and anxiety. Learn more about Sabine.

Sources 1. Clance, P. R., & Imes, S. A. (1978). The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 15(3), 241–247. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0086006 2. Bravata, D. M., Watts, S. A., Keefer, A. L., et al. (2020). Prevalence, predictors, and treatment of impostor syndrome: A systematic review. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 35(4), 1252–1275. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-019-05364-1 3. Rohrmann, S., Bechtoldt, M. N., & Leonhardt, M. (2016). Validation of the impostor phenomenon among managers. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 821. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00821 4. Cokley, K., Smith, L., Bernard, D., et al. (2017). Impostor feelings as a moderator and mediator of the relationship between perceived discrimination and mental health among racial/ethnic minority college students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 64(2), 141–154. 5. Vergauwe, J., Wille, B., Feys, M., De Fruyt, F., & Anseel, F. (2015). Fear of being exposed: The trait-relatedness of the impostor phenomenon and its relevance in the work context. Journal of Business and Psychology, 30(3), 565–581. 6. Tewfik, B. A. (2022). The impostor phenomenon revisited: Examining the relationship between workplace impostor thoughts and interpersonal effectiveness at work. Academy of Management Journal, 65(3), 988–1018. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2020.1627 7. Feenstra, S., Begeny, C. T., Ryan, M. K., Rink, F. A., Stoker, J. I., & Jordan, J. (2020). Contextualizing the impostor "syndrome." Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 575024. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.575024 • sabinebright.com

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