You just got a promotion. We are entrusting you with an ambitious project. And yet, a little inner voice whispers: “They will eventually realize that I am not up to it. » If this phrase sounds familiar to you, you are not alone. Far from it. Welcome to the world of imposter syndrome, a silent, stubborn, and surprisingly common obstacle among even the most capable women.
What exactly is imposter syndrome?
Imposter syndrome was theorized in the late 1970s by American psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes. It’s a self-perpetuating feeling of doubt and questioning. People who suffer from it believe that they are not qualified enough to deserve their success. They attribute their success more to external factors like luck, rather than to their own talent.
It’s not a disease. It’s not a whim either. It is a psychological mechanism that often manifests itself when faced with success. And it is much more widespread than we think. This feeling of fraud could affect 70% of the world’s population at one point or another in their lives.
But not everyone is equal in front of him. Women are particularly exposed to it.
The numbers that send shivers down your spine
The data is final. 93% of women entrepreneurs have already doubted their skillsaccording to the 2025 barometer “ Entrepreneurship and gender inequalities » of the Initiative Île-de-France Créateurs d’Avenir system. This phenomenon mainly affects the most competent profiles. It fuels a feeling of illegitimacy, slows business growth and prevents many women from fully realizing their work.
This figure is all the more striking because it concerns entrepreneurs, women who have chosen to take their destiny into their own hands. This phenomenon affects two thirds of them on a regular basis. Distrust in one’s own skills or fear of failure are not a private matter: they concretely slow down the development of projects.
In other words, imposter syndrome is not a personal matter. This is a major economic and professional issue.
Why are women more affected?
It’s not a question of fragility. It’s a question of context. Women feel more “ illegitimate » than men, especially at work. Several mechanisms explain this.
First, gender stereotypes internalized since childhood. Girls learn early to doubt, to be discreet, to attribute their success to luck rather than talent. Then, professional environments that are still very masculine amplify this feeling. Being a minority in a meeting room is structurally more anxiety-inducing. Finally, in 2025, 56% of women entrepreneurs say they have faced obstacles or discrimination linked to their genderan increase of 5 points compared to the previous year. When the environment sends negative signals, inner doubt feeds on them.
In other words: you’re not the problem. It’s the system.
5 signs you may be suffering from it
Recognizing the syndrome is already beginning to defuse it. Here are the most common manifestations:
- You downplay your successes. A promotion? “ I was lucky. » A compliment? “ It was the team, not me. » You have difficulty receiving recognition as an established fact.
- You prepare twice as much as others. You over-document, over-prepare, over-check. Not out of rigor, but out of fear of being ” unmasked“.
- You dread speaking up. In a meeting, you wait until you are 100% sure before opening your mouth. Meanwhile, someone else is saying exactly what you were thinking.
- You wait to be ” ready“. To apply. To launch your project. To negotiate your salary. The bar of legitimacy is constantly moving.
- You are afraid of being ” discovery“. As if one day, someone will finally see that you are ” not really » in your place.
5 concrete tools to free yourself from it for good
The good news is that imposter syndrome is not inevitable. Here’s what really works.
1. Name your inner saboteur
Externalizing your imposter syndrome means giving yourself the opportunity to speak back to him, maybe even ridicule him. It helps a lot to defuse the thing, to de-dramatize it. Call it “ Gerard« , « the little voice ” Or ” the gremlins” , never mind. The main thing is to dissociate him from you. This saboteur is him. Not you.
2. Keep a journal of your victories
Make a habit of writing down your successes every week. It can be small victories. Anything that gives a feeling of satisfaction. This allows you to factually notice your successes. This is not complacency. It’s cognitive reeducation.
3. Update your CV regularly
In addition to being rewarding, this exercise will allow you to see your achievements in a better light. Be clear about your strengths and use them to compensate for your weaknesses. Seeing your accomplishments written down in black and white is powerful. It transforms the abstract into concrete.
4. Talk about it, really
Don’t isolate yourself. Talk about it with your colleagues, with a work psychologist. It is by changing perspective, by sharing points of view that we can protect ourselves from imposter syndrome. Simply naming how you feel to someone you trust reduces its influence. And often you will discover that you are not alone.
5. Seek professional support
Professional coaching offers a secure framework to work in depth on these mechanisms. It is based on an alliance of trust based on confidentiality and non-judgment. It allows you to work on self-affirmation, recognition of your skills, and learn to internalize your successes. It’s not a luxury. It’s an investment in your career.
What if the problem also came from businesses?
It would be unfair to place all the responsibility on women themselves. Imposter syndrome remains underestimated in the professional world, even though it can seriously hinder the progress of employees, particularly women. Businesses have a decisive role to play. A strategy combining inclusive HR policies, recognition and support is fundamental to strengthening professional equality.
And the proof that it works exists. As the ChooseMyCompany x Women’s Forum study from May 2026 showed, in the best structured organizations, the gaps in perception between women and men almost completely disappear. When the environment is clear, fair and caring, imposter syndrome loses its grip.
