Overcoming imposter syndrome at work: why high achievers often feel like frauds

CREATED BY DAVE CORDLE Published: 12/02/2026 @ 09:01AM #impostersyndromeatwork #WorkplaceConfidence #CareerDevelopment #SelfDoubt #LeadershipMindset #ProfessionalGrowth

If imposter syndrome is nagging you at work, you're not alone. You'll learn why it hits high achievers and how it shows up day to day. After reading my blog post, you'll walk away with a few practical ways to rebuild trust in your own ability ...

Imposter syndrome at work, Doubts plague my mind, I feel small, But I will rise high

You can be doing well on paper and still feel like you're one meeting away from being found out. That's the core of imposter syndrome: the gap between your external results and your internal sense of legitimacy. It often shows up right after success, not failure, because success raises the stakes and your mind starts scanning for the risk of losing it.

I see it most in conscientious, high-performing people because they're used to analysing what could be better!

That ability is valuable, but when it turns inward, it can become self-doubt at work disguised as 'being realistic'. You may discount praise, over-credit luck, or set the bar so high that meeting it never counts. The more you achieve, the higher you raise your own bar, and the more you feel like an imposter.

In practice, imposter syndrome at work is less about capability and more about attribution. If you automatically attribute wins to timing, other people's help, or low standards, you never bank the success as evidence. Over time, you build a CV full of achievements and a nervous system that still expects rejection. That's why workplace confidence can feel oddly disconnected from your actual track record.

You might notice it when you procrastinate on visible work, avoid speaking up until you're '100% sure', or over-prepare for routine conversations. You might say yes too quickly, then privately panic that you can't deliver.

You might also play small during interviews or promotion chats, because describing your impact feels like bragging rather than accuracy. These are not character flaws; they're strategies your brain uses to reduce perceived risk.

There's also a quiet cost!

When you're trying to outrun the fear of exposure, you burn energy proving yourself rather than building. That pressure can tip into professional burnout, especially if you're carrying responsibilities at home as well. When every task feels like a test of worth, rest starts to feel undeserved, and that's a fast route to exhaustion.

The way out starts with treating your confidence like a system you can tune, not a mood you have to wait for.

In those moments where you feel like an imposter, you need two things: clearer evidence and cleaner thinking. Evidence means tracking outcomes and behaviours you control, not just praise. Cleaner thinking means noticing the mental shortcut that says, “If it wasn't perfect, it didn't count.”

You can help yourself by getting specific about what 'good' looks like before you start. If you define success criteria up front, you stop moving the goalposts afterwards. You can also practise giving a factual account of your work: what you did, why you did it, and what changed as a result.

This isn't arrogance; it's professional accuracy, and it supports career development because it makes your value easy to understand and easy to advocate for.

It also helps to reframe the feeling itself. Imposter syndrome often spikes when you're learning, stretching, or stepping into a new identity, such as manager, specialist, or leader. The discomfort can be a sign you're expanding your competence, not evidence you're fraudulent. The goal isn't to stop feeling doubt; it's to stop treating doubt as a verdict.

Finally, bring your inner standards back into alignment
with how you judge other people!

You wouldn't call a colleague a fraud because they asked a question, needed time to learn, or had support on a project. Offer yourself the same rational fairness. When you do, workplace confidence becomes steadier, self-doubt loses its authority, and you can pursue career development without paying for it with professional burnout.

If you want a simple measure of progress, notice whether you can accept a win without immediately explaining it away. That small shift compounds, because each accepted win becomes evidence you can rely on.

So you'll be ready the next time your inner imposter whispers that you don't belong.

Until next time ...

DAVE CORDLE
Career Development Professional

07941 690 391

www.davecordle.co.uk / www.linkedin.com/in/davecordle

Everything you need for your career:  www.davecordle.co.uk/basecamp

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About Dave Cordle ...
I began my professional life training as a cartographer with the Directorate of Overseas Surveys, a department of the British government. I made maps of places such as Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Sudan and the British Virgin Islands. It was a fascinating time, being involved in planning the flights for aerial photography, interpreting the photographs and eventually producing the plates for the different layers of the final map. It was during my latter years as a cartographer and my career in computing that I undertook bigger mountaineering expeditions to the Andes, the Himalayas, the Tien Shan and the Caucasus. At that time I also held various leadership roles in scouting. I coached and trained young people successfully leading them to develop themselves and embrace new experiences. So that’s where my passion comes from to help young people learn the strategies for success that I share with my business and career clients. My journey in personal professional development and coaching has been amazing, and will continue to be so: it’s why I’m here, it’s my big passion. It’s what has informed my vision and mission. However unlikely your dream might seem, if you keep taking steps towards it, even small steps, you may well just surprise yourself.

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