Guest Article by Natalie Netzel, LCL Board Member, Associate Professor of Law and Director of Clinical Legal Education at Mitchell Hamline School of Law
Imposter syndrome, when a high-achieving and accomplished individual doubts their proven abilities or feels like a fraud, gets a bad rap. For this month’s wellness newsletter, we invite you to question the concept for two distinct reasons, that may seem at odds.
First, the concept of imposter syndrome blames the individual who suffers (often individuals with a marginalized identity) when it is more appropriate to blame the systems, structures, and hierarchies in place that cause an accomplished individual to suffer. The label of “imposter syndrome” harms the “imposter” by providing one more thing for them to doubt about themselves. “What is so wrong with me that I can’t even get success right?”
At the same time, people with “imposter syndrome” often share a trait desperately needed by people in positions of power: confident humility. Confident humility embraces imposter syndrome to the extent the “imposter” knows how little they know while still being able to be grounded in how much they do know. Those with confident humility are secure enough in their strengths to openly acknowledge their weaknesses. The trait of confident humility places value on competence over confidence and leads to better thinking.
According to organizational psychologist Adam Grant, “Great thinkers don’t harbor doubts because they’re impostors. They maintain doubts because they know we’re all partially blind and they’re committed to improving their insight…Arrogance leaves us blind to our weaknesses. Humility is a reflective lens: it helps us see them clearly. Confident humility is a corrective lens: it enables us to overcome those weaknesses.”
Why is this related to wellness?
Striving to embody confident humility allows a high achiever (and I consider all of you here at the law school to be high achievers) to let go of the burdens of imposter syndrome. Identifying the value of confident humility might help break down your perfectionist tendencies. And, if we do this collectively, it can open us up to being able to uncover and acknowledge our blind spots: the things we don’t know and the reality we are wrong a lot of the time. We just might be able to reach higher levels of thinking by doing this. Less pretending and perfectionism, more acceptance and happiness.
So, for those of you who might be struggling with the system-imposed harm of imposter syndrome, give yourself a break this month!
Interested in learning and thinking more about how imposter syndrome impacts your work and your life? You can read Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome by Ruchika Tulshyan and Jodi-Ann Burey and/or chapter two of Adam Grant’s book Think Again.
Remember, LCL offers free counseling to help with any concerns causing stress or distress. Email Us .