Ever landed a promotion, aced a project, or earned praise—only to immediately think, “I don’t deserve this. Any minute now, they’ll figure out I’m a fraud”? That nagging inner critic has a name: Impostor Syndrome.
Despite evidence of success, people with Impostor Syndrome feel like they’ve tricked everyone into believing they’re more competent than they really are. They explain away achievements as luck, timing, or someone else’s mistake, rather than admitting their own skill and effort.
To better understand who struggles with this, we conducted a study on Impostor Syndrome. Here’s what the data reveals about the personality profile of male and female “impostors.”
- 32% of women and 33% of men don’t feel they deserve their success.
- 36% of women and 34% of men take perfectionism to unhealthy extremes, setting unrealistic expectations for themselves.
- 43% of women and 39% of men struggle with low self-esteem.
- 44% of women and 38% of men believe their accomplishments were mostly a fluke.
- Nearly half—47% of women and 48% of men—don’t believe they’ve truly earned their rewards.
- 65% of women and 62% of men dismiss or ignore praise.
- 69% of women and 65% of men brush off compliments.
- 71% of both men and women downplay their achievements when others bring them up.
And here’s the paradox: 85% of women and 81% of men with Impostor Syndrome are actually good goal-achievers, with plenty of success under their belt. Yet, more than 60% worry that others will eventually “find them out” and realize they’re not as competent as they seem.
Most people struggling with Impostor Syndrome fall between the ages of 18 and 29—a time when many are still carving out their career path and figuring out who they are professionally.
The effects are clear at work, too:
- Only 30% of women and 27% of men with Impostor Syndrome are satisfied with their job.
The Real Issue Behind Impostor Syndrome
Of course, not every “impostor” is secretly brilliant—some people really are underperforming. But our data shows that, for most, the problem isn’t competence. It’s perception.
- With low self-esteem, quirks look like flaws.
- Normal setbacks look like catastrophic failures.
- Everyday challenges look like impossible roadblocks.
In other words: Impostor Syndrome distorts reality.
The truth is, everyone has blind spots—leaders included. Sometimes it’s perfectionism, sometimes it’s impostor thinking, and sometimes it’s habits they don’t even realize are dragging their team down. A 360 assessment like SAGE-M (for managers) and SAGE-NM (for employees) brings those blind spots to the surface.
Once the feedback is out in the open, coaching can zero in on what matters most: building self-awareness, sharpening strengths, and addressing the patterns that hold people back.