What Is Imposter Syndrome and Why Do So Many High Achievers Have It?

Dr. Lara Kennerly
May 11
10 min read

Imposter syndrome and self-doubt illustration showing mirrors and fractured reflections

Success is supposed to build confidence. And yet some of the most accomplished people carry a persistent, quiet fear that they are not as capable as everyone around them believes. They attribute their wins to luck, brace for the moment they get “found out,” and push harder to stay ahead of a failure that never quite arrives.

It does not matter how many milestones they hit or how consistently they deliver. The internal narrative stays the same. Something is off, the success is not quite real, and eventually, someone will notice.

This is imposter syndrome, and it runs deeper than most people realize.

Read on to learn what it actually is, why high achievers are most affected by it, and what it takes to genuinely move past it.

What Is Imposter Syndrome?

Imposter syndrome refers to an internal experience of believing that despite visible success, achievements, or competence, a person is fundamentally a “fraud” who has somehow convinced/tricked the people around them into thinking they are more capable than they actually are.

The term was first introduced in 1978 by psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes, who observed this pattern in high-achieving women. Since then, research has confirmed that it affects people across genders, industries, and career levels.

It is worth clarifying something important: imposter syndrome is not a clinical diagnosis. It is a psychological pattern, a set of beliefs and feelings one has about oneself, that can persist even in the face of objective, external evidence of competence.

That distinction matters because it helps explain why the usual reassurances rarely help. Being told "you earned it" or "you're clearly qualified" does not touch the deeply entrenched underlying belief system about oneself. The doubt is not about the facts. It is about how reality and genuine facts are being interpreted internally.

People experiencing imposter syndrome often attribute their successes to external factors: luck, a helpful colleague, an easy project, being in the right place at the right time.

They rarely internalize accomplishments as evidence of their own ability. When something goes wrong, however, they do the opposite, interpreting it as confirmation of their deeply rooted fears of inadequacy and lack of genuine ability.

The Five Types of Imposter Syndrome

Researcher Valerie Young identified five main patterns through which imposter syndrome tends to show up. Understanding which one resonates can help clarify what is actually happening beneath the surface.

1. The Perfectionist sets unrealistically high standards and then focuses intensely on any small shortcoming, treating near-perfect performance as proof of failure. Even a 98% feels like a sign

2. The Superhero feels compelled to outwork, outperform, and outlast everyone around them, believing that they must be the hardest worker or reach the highest levels of achievement possible, and if you don't, you are a fraud.

3. The Natural Genius. In this imposter syndrome type, you may feel like a fraud simply because you don't believe that you are naturally intelligent or competent. If you don't get something right the first time around or it takes you longer to master a skill, you feel like an imposter.

4. The Soloist insists on doing everything independently, because asking for help would mean admitting they do not have everything figured out. If you had to ask for help to reach a certain level of status and couldn’t do it on your own, you question your competence or abilities, and feel like an imposter.

5. The Expert feels like an imposter because they don't know everything there is to know about a particular subject or topic, or they haven't mastered every step in a process. Because there is more for them to learn, they don't feel as if they've reached the rank of "expert." No amount of credentials, experience, or preparation ever feels like quite enough.

Most people do not fall neatly into one category. These patterns often overlap, and they can shift depending on the context, whether it is a new role, a high-stakes project, or a major life transition.

Signs and Symptoms of Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome shows up differently for everyone. But there are patterns that tend to appear consistently, and recognizing them is often the first step toward understanding what is actually going on.

Some of the most recognizable signs:

Deflecting compliments or feeling internally uncomfortable when someone praises their work
Internally crediting luck, timing, or other people when something goes well, but blaming themselves when something goes wrong
Fear that others will eventually “discover” they aren’t the achiever they present themselves to be- that their successes were a result of outside factors, not their own merits and abilities.
Holding back in meetings, not because they have nothing to say, but because they are afraid of saying something that would expose them as “a fraud”
Overworking in attempts to avoid any potential criticism or error
Internally comparing themselves to colleagues and consistently feeling like they are somehow “coming up short” in the comparison, even when feedback and work performance says otherwise
Struggling to internalize satisfaction and giving self credit for “a job well done” after achieving something, because they immediately look to the next task and goal.

For some people, imposter syndrome co-occurs with high-functioning anxiety, as they share many of the same features. The person may appear organized and successful while internally feeling tense, restless, unable to switch off, linked to a core felt-sense that their success and achievement is a “facade” covering up their shortcomings.

Imposter syndrome image showing a person holding a mask to represent self-doubt and feeling like a fraud

What Causes Imposter Syndrome?

Imposter syndrome is a complex and deeply entrenched way of viewing oneself that crystalizes and hardens over the years, and becomes so rigid that it resists and withstands new input and information/facts that might alter that view to more accurately reflect reality.

It develops over time, shaped by a combination of life experiences, interpersonal relationships, learning history, environment, and personality factors.

Some of the most common contributing factors:

Perfectionism

People who hold themselves to unrealistically high standards are far more likely to experience imposter syndrome. When the bar is set impossibly high, there is always a gap between where someone is and where they feel they should be.
Early experiences at home

Growing up in an environment where praise was tied to achievement, or where mistakes were treated harshly, can leave a lasting impression. Many adults with imposter syndrome learned early that their worth was connected to how well they performed, and how well they hid their short-comings and vulnerabilities.
Being the first

First-generation college students, people entering industries where they have little representation, or anyone stepping into a role with no real blueprint to follow, are more likely to question whether they truly belong there, and often compensate by presenting themselves as unwavering in their abilities and confidence, which creates ever-increases challenges for times when they need to step away from this “facade” when help or insight is needed from others.
Major transitions

Starting a new job, taking on a leadership role, or moving into a higher-pressure environment can trigger imposter syndrome even in people who have never experienced it before. New territory naturally brings uncertainty, and uncertainty feeds self-doubt.
High-achieving environments

Being surrounded by other accomplished people does not always feel reassuring. For many, it amplifies the fear of falling short by raising the comparison bar, and creates intense anxiety that one wrong comment, or one public error, could reveal their “imposter” status to the other “experts” that surround them.

The Role of Perfectionism in Imposter Syndrome

Perfectionism and imposter syndrome often feed each other.

A person feels afraid of being exposed as inadequate, so they try to prevent that feeling by doing everything perfectly.

When they perform well, they may not feel proud. They may simply feel safe for a moment. Then the pressure returns.

The problem is that perfectionism never fully answers the fear underneath. It only raises the standard.

A high achiever may tell themselves they will finally feel secure once they get the promotion, publish the work, build the business, earn the degree, reach the income goal, or receive approval from the right person. But when the goal is reached, the mind often relocates the finish line to a farther distance.

This can create a cycle:

Work harder
Achieve more
Feel temporary relief
Doubt the achievement, attribute it to outside factors (luck, other members of the team, right place right time, others missed to subtle small errors you can see)
Raise the standard
Work harder again

From the outside, this cycle can look like motivation. Internally, it can feel like never feeling able to stop.

Why High Achievers Are Especially Vulnerable to Imposter Syndrome

High achievers often build their identity around being capable, dependable, and successful, and worthy of praise. When they are used to performing well, every new challenge can start to feel like a test of whether they still deserve their place.

That pressure can make ordinary mistakes feel much bigger than they are. A missed detail, difficult project, or moment of uncertainty may feel like proof that they are not as competent as others believe.

The more they accomplish, the higher the expectations can feel. Instead of enjoying success, they may feel pressure to keep proving themselves. This is why imposter syndrome is so common among high achievers. Success does not always quiet self-doubt. Sometimes, it raises the stakes.

How to Work Through Imposter Syndrome

Working through imposter syndrome takes time, and different things resonate with different people. These are some of the approaches that tend to make a real difference:

Working With a Therapist:

Working with a therapist is one of the most effective ways to address imposter syndrome at its root. Rather than managing the symptoms, therapy creates space to understand where the pattern actually came from.

For many high achievers, that means exploring early experiences around worth, performance, and approval, and beginning to separate personal identity from professional achievement.

Challenging the Internal Narrative

Because Imposter syndrome is a complex and deeply entrenched way of viewing oneself that crystalizes and hardens over the years, a lot of the thinking that comes with it happens automatically and goes unquestioned.

Dismissing achievements, assuming the worst after a small mistake, and feeling like everyone else has it more figured out, all serve to harden the rigidity of that view of self as “an imposter” when in a position of achieving and excelling.

Having a guide can help you slow down and examine the thoughts that keep you from fully experiencing your own success. In therapy, you can begin to understand the history behind those thoughts and how they have protected a negative view of yourself for so long.

Over time, this work can help you loosen the armor that no longer serves you and begin to relate to yourself in a more honest, grounded way.

Separating Self-Worth From Performance

A lot of imposter syndrome is held in place by a belief, often unconscious, that worth is something that has to be earned and re-earned through achievement. Untangling that belief does not happen overnight, but it is the shift that makes the most lasting difference.

When self-worth is no longer entirely dependent on the next result, the fear of being “found out” starts to lose its grip.

Building a Support System

Most people experiencing imposter syndrome have never said it out loud to anyone. There is an assumption that everyone else in the room has it “together”, which makes the self-doubt feel even more isolating.

Having people around, whether personally, professionally, or in a therapeutic setting, where honest conversation is actually possible and feels safe, makes a real difference.

It is harder to keep believing something when it finally gets said out loud and discussed from multiple perspectives, not just your own.

When to Consider Professional Support

Imposter syndrome is worth taking seriously when it starts affecting your work, how you feel about yourself, and your life satisfaction, to such a degree that it begins to take over a significant amount of your attention.

If you feel preoccupied by the thoughts that come with this sense of feeling like “an imposter,” you feel your ability to keep performing at the same highest levels is beginning to falter, or you feel the weight you are so accustomed to carrying is feeling like a heavier burden as the days go on, it might be the right time to consider professional support.

If self-doubt is getting in the way of making decisions, resting without guilt, enjoying achievements, or feeling present in relationships, that is worth paying attention to.

It is also worth considering support if the self-doubt is showing up alongside anxiety, burnout, perfectionism, emotional numbness, or a persistent sense of not knowing what you actually want outside of achievement.

A lot of high achievers wait until they reach a breaking point before reaching out.

But therapy does not have to be saved for a breaking point. It can simply be a space to understand why success still feels so empty or “undeserved,”, and what needs to shift so you can genuinely experience and celebrate your own successes, and your pursuit of achievement can feel less like something to constantly manage.

Dr. Lara Kennerly, PsyD, offers therapy for high-achieving professionals in Sacramento and online across California.

Common Questions About Imposter Syndrome

Is imposter syndrome a mental illness?

No. Imposter syndrome is not a clinical diagnosis or mental health disorder. It is a psychological pattern involving persistent self-doubt despite evidence of competence. That said, it can contribute to anxiety, burnout, and depression, which are conditions that are diagnosable and treatable.

Can imposter syndrome get worse over time?

Without attention, yes. The pattern tends to intensify as stakes increase and as the gap between internal self-perception and external achievement widens. Many people find that promotions, public recognition, or career milestones trigger stronger, not weaker, episodes of self-doubt and feeling like an “imposter.”

Is imposter syndrome more common in women?

The original research focused exclusively on women, but subsequent studies have found it across genders.

Women and minorities who work in fields where they are underrepresented may experience more intense or frequent episodes, largely because being visibly different can amplify feelings of not truly belonging and developing methods to compensate that often lead towards perfectionism and imposter syndrome developing.

Final Note

Imposter syndrome is not an accurate reflection of “reality.” It is a complex and deeply entrenched way of viewing yourself as not as “capable” or “skilled” as your professional achievements would indicate.

Developed over many years, it creates a filter for your experiences: Attributing all the good outcomes to other people and other factors (e.g. luck), and assigning yourself blame for any errors or failures.

It is not a choice you made, and it is not a sign of weakness, it developed over years of learning to view yourself and the world in a certain way, a way that served you at some point in time, but it no longer serves you and now weighs you down and acts like an emotional prison, preventing you from growing and changing, and being able to actually internalize and celebrate your own successes.

It is possible to work hard without being driven by fear. It is possible to succeed without feeling like a fraud. It is possible to build a life where achievement matters, but does not have to be the only thing that makes someone feel valuable.

Sources

Original Research & Overview: Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Imposter Syndrome. https://gsas.harvard.edu/news/imposter-syndrome
Five Types of Imposter Syndrome: Young, V. The Impostor Syndrome Institute. Five Types of Impostor Syndrome. https://impostorsyndrome.com/articles/5-types-of-impostor-syndrome/