Breaking the imposter cycle – why capable people feel like frauds.

Understanding the Roots of Imposter Syndrome

Imposter Syndrome is a term that has gained widespread familiarity, yet its true depth and impact are often overlooked. Social media platforms are awash with quick fixes - confidence tricks, affirmations, and reassurances such as “everyone feels this way.” While there is a kernel of truth in this, trivialising Imposter Syndrome risks missing the seriousness and persistence of the issue, which can be highly damaging and costly for many capable individuals. More importantly, it distracts from what genuinely helps.

Imposter Syndrome as a Cycle

This article explores Imposter Syndrome not as a personality flaw, but as a self-reinforcing cycle. It delves into why this experience is most prevalent among high performers and introduces the 3 Cs framework as a robust approach to breaking the cycle, both on an individual and systemic level.

Getting the Language Right

Clance and Imes originally described imposter feelings as arising when people struggle to internalise success. Achievements are often attributed to luck, timing, or even deception, while failures are seen as confirmation of inadequacy. This pattern continues even in the face of clear evidence of competence.

Despite the widespread use of the term, Imposter Syndrome is not actually a syndrome - it is not an illness, diagnosis, or clinical disorder. The more accurate term is Imposter Phenomenon, which refers to a recurring pattern of thoughts and emotions experienced by capable people, especially in achievement-driven settings.

This distinction is meaningful. When we pathologise the experience, we imply that people are somehow broken or that the problem will simply disappear if ignored. In reality, imposter feelings are learned, reinforced, and maintained by our experiences, culture, and context. Therefore, these feelings can also be unlearned if properly understood and addressed.

Who Experiences Imposter Syndrome?

Imposter feelings are not a sign of incompetence. In fact, they are most commonly found among individuals who are:

• High achievers

• Conscientious and perfectionistic

• Trusted with significant responsibility

• In high-visibility, evaluative environments

• Facing stretch, transition, or success

Many who experience these feelings work long hours, over-prepare, obsess over details, or alternate between over-effort and procrastination. They may outwardly appear confident but inwardly fear exposure. Paradoxically, the more capable someone becomes, the more opportunities they have to feel like an imposter.

The Real Cost of Imposter Syndrome

Imposter Syndrome is often dismissed as mere self-doubt, but this is a dangerous understatement. Research and lived experience reveal its significant impact across two main domains:

Career consequences:

• Reduced risk-taking and creativity

• Career stagnation or under-earning

• Avoidance of stretch roles or promotions

• Decreased job satisfaction and engagement

Personal and emotional consequences:

• Chronic self-doubt and anxiety

• Difficulty internalising success

• Persistent overworking and burnout

• Loss of joy, aspiration, and confidence

If left unaddressed, this phenomenon can become a powerful limiter, not because people lack capability, but because they never feel entitled to their achievements.

The Imposter Cycle Explained

Imposter Syndrome endures because it functions as a self-sustaining cycle, not a one-off feeling. A simplified version of this cycle is as follows:

1. Trigger or new challenge – such as a promotion, new role, presentation, or stretch assignment

2. Anxiety and self-doubt – racing thoughts, fear of failure, and automatic negative thoughts (ANTs)

3. Over-preparation or procrastination – either working excessively to avoid failure or avoiding the task altogether

4. Brief success and relief – the outcome is positive, but the relief is only temporary

5. Discounting success – thoughts like “I got lucky,” “They didn’t see the real me,” or “Next time I’ll be found out” arise

6. The cycle resets, often coming back even stronger

Why Insight Alone Is Insufficient

Many people understand Imposter Syndrome intellectually yet remain trapped by it. This is because imposter feelings are not sustained by logic alone. They are deeply embedded in:

• Narratives about identity and self-worth

• Habitual thinking patterns; automatic negative thoughts such as catastrophising, mind-reading, all-or-nothing thinking, and unfair comparisons

• Organisational cultures that reward overwork, perfectionism, and silent struggle

Breaking the cycle takes more than reassurance; it requires a framework for lasting behavioural and cognitive change. The 3 Cs model, developed by Dr Lisa and Dr Richard Orbé-Austin, is one such framework, widely used by coaches and psychologists.

The 3 Cs Framework: Clarify, Choose, Create

The 3 Cs framework is straightforward yet highly effective. It offers a practical route out of the imposter cycle through nine core steps, divided into three phases:

Clarify – Develop an understanding of your imposter story

1. Identify where imposter beliefs originated

2. Recognise what triggers or “trap doors” activate them now

3. Notice what automatic negative thoughts emerge under pressure

Clarification transforms a vague sense of inadequacy into something observable and manageable. It helps distinguish feelings from facts, which is a vital first step.

Choose – Focus on agency and taking ownership:

1. Choose to speak your truth rather than ‘perform’ invulnerability

2. Choose to acknowledge your accomplishments without minimising them

3. Choose to challenge automatic negative thoughts instead of accepting them as reality

This is not about positive thinking, but about disciplined, evidence-based reframing, replacing distortion with proportionate thinking and acceptance of competence.

Create – Move into action and experimentation:

1. Try new behaviours in low-risk situations

2. Build a support system of coaches, peers, or sponsors

3. Design roles, routines, and boundaries that support sustainable success

   
   

Confidence grows not from certainty, but from repeated experience of coping successfully with challenges.

The Importance of Narrative

A central theme in overcoming imposter feelings is narrative; the stories people tell themselves that shape their self-perception. Our internal narratives about who we are, what we’re good at, and where we belong influence what we notice, what we discount, and how we interpret feedback. Imposter Syndrome tends to distort these narratives, amplifying negatives while downplaying or erasing successes.

Narrative development techniques can help re-author identity and build a more resilient self-story. By broadening the narrative to include competence, learning, resilience, and growth, people can gradually change the behaviours that perpetuate imposter feelings.

Six Practical Steps to Begin Silencing the Imposter Cycle

While deeper work often benefits from coaching, there are several practical actions anyone can take immediately to reduce imposter feelings. While none are cure-alls on their own, collectively, they can begin to break the cycle:

1. Name and normalise the experience: Label imposter thoughts as feelings, not facts, and remember that most high performers experience similar challenges.

2. Separate emotion from evidence: Test your beliefs against objective data and past achievements—let facts challenge your internal story.

3. Track wins deliberately: Keep a log of achievements and positive feedback to develop a more balanced view of your capabilities.

4. Interrupt perfectionism: Allow yourself to deliver work that is “good enough” rather than flawless. Aim for 80% and move forward.

5. Reframe self-talk: Replace self-critique with language that emphasises growth and capability (e.g., “I’m developing and capable”).

6. Seek micro-exposure: Take small, intentional steps outside your comfort zone—such as speaking up once, volunteering for a small task, or stretching just a little. These incremental steps quickly build confidence.

Conclusion

Imposter Syndrome does not simply vanish as competence increases. It begins to dissolve when individuals learn to recognise, interrupt, and re-author the patterns that sustain it. Breaking the imposter cycle is not about becoming fearless; it is about learning to move forward without needing certainty, which is, paradoxically, where true confidence is found.