We often hear about impostor syndrome – that nagging feeling of not being quite good enough, even when all the evidence points to well-earned success. It’s just one of those things that afflicts fallible humans with high hopes and high standards. Or is it? Instead of a trick played on us by our inner critic, could impostor syndrome be a signal of something deeper? An intelligent response to something not being quite right?

If you use PRINT® you’ll know that we’re each driven by a unique set of Unconscious Motivators – those core desires that fuel our Best Self and shape our needs and behaviours. When our motivations are met, we thrive. When they’re not, we retreat into our Shadow selves. And that can mean doubting ourselves.

When doubt is a symptom, not the problem

Impostor syndrome might not mean there’s something wrong with your abilities. It could be a sign that your environment, role or relationships are not feeding the Unconscious Motivators that fuel your sense of purpose, belonging and wellbeing. It could even undermine how secure you feel in the world.

Think about someone whose PRINT® is driven by the desire to feel needed and appreciated. They may be excelling in their role. But if they feel the workplace overlooks their ideas or contributions, they may feel like an impostor in that setting. Or, imagine your PRINT® means you crave peace and harmony, and you need to avoid conflict – yet your working environment bristles with conflict and drama. You’ll struggle to play to your strengths if your motivations are so neglected. Meanwhile, a colleague whose deepest motivation is to be knowledgeable and smart may feel like a fraud if their expertise isn’t noticed or trusted – even if they’re the most experienced person in the room. In cases like these, impostor syndrome can make us think we lack ability, when really we lack alignment with our motivations.

Turn self-doubt into self-awareness
PRINT® can help to reframe self-doubt as a message from your subconscious. By bringing your core motivations to the surface, PRINT® can help you understand why certain pressures, demands or expectations nudge you out of sync with your environment. It gives you the clarity to work out the difference between internal growth opportunities – which you may well have – and external misalignments. While calming the storm of self-doubt, it can also reconnect you with your Best Self, where self-confidence is authentic and natural. Where motivation is part of you, rather than a performance to suit a role. And where you banish that impostor feeling because you’ve realigned your everyday life with what truly drives you.

But what can you do with this knowledge?

You don’t have to change your job, or become a different person. Impostor syndrome is the only fraud here. The first step is to recognise what’s wrong – and then just a few tweaks can help ease it. For example…

  • If you have to feel needed and appreciated – try sharing progress with your manager and colleagues, to make your impact more visible. Offer to mentor or support a colleague, to reinforce your value by helping others benefit from your experience.
  • If you crave peace and harmony – consider excusing yourself from non-essential drama or step in only when you can mediate calmly. Create micro-environments of serenity: build relationships with like-minded colleagues and initiate calm, constructive dialogue where possible.
  • If you’re motivated by being knowledgeable and smart – find ways to position your expertise, such as contributing to a knowledge bank or blog posts, offering to run a lunch-and-learn session, or networking at industry events where there are opportunities to give talks on specialist subjects.

Most of all, notice the alarm bells, check your PRINT® profile, and calmly, logically see where the misalignment is. The self-doubt you feel may not be impostor syndrome at all. The chances are it’s just a natural response to your deepest desires going unmet.