Imposter syndrome helps people become successful, psychologists say

What many consider a personal weakness may turn out to be one of the most powerful sources of professional growth. Modern psychologists studying the career paths of executives, entrepreneurs, scientists and other high-performing specialists are reaching this conclusion.

One of the best-known researchers on this topic is psychologist and leadership expert Thomas Chamorro-Premuzic. In his work, he points to a paradoxical pattern: people who constantly doubt their own abilities often achieve more than those who are completely confident in themselves.

According to the scientist, moderate insecurity pushes a person to keep improving, learning and checking their own decisions. Excessive confidence, by contrast, often leads to mistakes, complacency and an overestimation of one’s abilities.

Why doubts can be beneficial

In an article for Forbes, Chamorro-Premuzic notes that many outstanding achievements are born out of inner psychological contradictions. Some people are able to turn their worries, fears and insecurity into a source of energy for work and self-improvement. Instead of stopping at what they have already achieved, they keep moving forward, striving to prove their own competence to themselves.

This mechanism is closely linked to the so-called imposter syndrome, a state in which a person cannot fully acknowledge their own success and believes that others are overestimating their abilities.

Despite popular opinion, imposter syndrome is far from rare. According to psychologists, about 70% of people experience it at least once in their lives. It occurs especially often among highly qualified specialists, managers, scientists and representatives of creative professions.

Insecurity versus overconfidence

Interestingly, Chamorro-Premuzic’s research largely contradicts the traditional image of a successful leader as a person with unwavering self-confidence.

For many years, the psychologist studied the relationship between leadership and personal qualities. As a result, he concluded that organizations often confuse confidence with competence. People who loudly proclaim their abilities and rarely doubt themselves often get leadership positions, even though their real skills may be inferior to those of more modest candidates.

In the researcher’s view, the ability to critically assess one’s own decisions often makes leaders more effective. That is why moderate self-criticism can be an advantage rather than a drawback.

Scientists have found an unexpected upside to imposter syndrome

Additional support for this idea came from studies published in Harvard Business Review. Scientists found that employees experiencing imposter syndrome are often more attentive to colleagues, better listeners and demonstrate a higher level of interpersonal effectiveness.

In other words, inner doubts do not always get in the way of work. In some cases, they help people prepare more thoroughly, pay closer attention to details and avoid dangerous overconfidence.

When anxiety becomes a problem

However, experts warn that there is a huge difference between useful self-criticism and destructive anxiety.

Psychologists stress that imposter syndrome is associated with an increased risk of burnout, chronic stress, depression and a reduced quality of life. People who constantly regard their successes as a coincidence often experience intense psychological pressure and are unable to take pleasure in their achievements.

That is why experts do not recommend romanticizing anxiety or treating it as a mandatory condition for success.

What psychologists advise

The modern approach is not to get rid of doubts completely, but to learn how to work with them properly.

Specialists advise treating inner self-criticism as a source of information for growth, rather than as proof of one’s own inadequacy. Instead of asking, “Am I not good enough?”, it is more useful to ask yourself, “What exactly can I improve?”

This approach makes it possible to turn anxiety from a destructive force into a tool for professional growth.

Perhaps that is why many outstanding people continue to doubt themselves throughout their careers. Not because they are weak, but because their inner questions push them to keep moving forward when others have already decided they have reached the top.