Overcoming Imposter Syndrome as a Woman in a Male-Dominated Industry: 10 Tips
By Brett Farmiloe
Imposter syndrome can be a significant hurdle for women in business, especially for those who work in male-dominated industries. In this article, we asked 10 women to share their best strategies for dealing with feelings of self-doubt and incompetence.
How women in business can overcome imposter syndrome
1. Showcase abilities and deliver results
"As a female software engineer, I am no stranger to imposter syndrome. When I started, it was uncommon for girls to pursue coding, and being one of the few female students in my computer science class, I encountered skepticism and surprise. At work, I often found myself as the only woman in a team of male developers, which made me switch from heels to sneakers, but didn't make me doubt myself.
"To overcome imposter syndrome, focus on showcasing your abilities and delivering impressive results. Remember that intelligence and competence have nothing to do with gender. Embrace your uniqueness and let your skills speak for themselves. Continuously strive for improvement, exceed expectations, and consistently demonstrate what you're capable of. Others will have no choice but to recognize your talent and expertise, regardless of gender."
—Juliet Dreamhunter, Juliety
2. Boost confidence with assertive communication
"Before I founded my company, I was a project leader for an organization with over 99% male employees. Being an outsider and a woman, I faced strong imposter syndrome. I overcame it by learning assertive communication and self-confident body language. Each day I started and finished by listing my capabilities and achievements in the mirror. I adopted a low speaking voice and learned how to maintain eye contact. I also practiced different scenarios through role play and read dozens of books about body language, and I practiced for days.
"My advice to women who are struggling with this problem is to speak slowly with a low voice, and use as few words as possible. First, say what's most important, then let others ask questions. Keep your head high and maintain eye contact. Never, ever lose control or fill in the silence first. And know your worth."
—Irina Poddubnaia, TrackMage
3. Blow your own trumpet
"Men love to brag about their accomplishments. Time and again I've seen capable women in the workplace neglect to trumpet their successes—myself included! When everyone around you is highlighting their wins, you get the feeling you're falling behind. That is until you start keeping track of your own victories and making sure they're known. It can feel awkward at first and against your nature, but the boost to your confidence is very welcome. Be sure to give credit where it's due to others too—especially to other women!"
—Cynthia Davies, Cindy's New Mexico LLC
4. Prioritize personal development
"Being a woman in the tech industry offers both rewards and challenges. On the plus side, you are at the cutting edge of innovation, which is hugely exciting. However, as a woman, you often feel left behind, with male colleagues focusing mostly on each other. This makes it hard to properly appraise yourself, as you are left out of many feedback loops.
"In my experience, external qualifications, certifications, and training can be an excellent way to seek outside evaluation. Not only are you visibly prioritizing your own development, but you are also concurrently seeking the support, advice, and mentorship of other experts in the field who are honest about your competence.
"I strongly recommend that women prioritize their personal development with the aim of gaining an outside perspective. Over time, as you grow professionally and personally, the imposter syndrome will rear its ugly head less and less, and you will build genuine self-confidence."
—Chloe Yarwood, Test Partnership
5. Focus on accomplishments, not outcomes
"Instead of dwelling on self-doubt, think of all the things—large and small—that you’ve already accomplished. It’s also helpful to work on this limiting belief. For example, thinking, 'Once I reach $100K in revenue, I’ll have proven that I can do hard things' isn’t helpful. Why? Because it ties your self-worth to an outcome. Ultimately, believe you can attain your goals, and don’t confuse your worth with your results."
—Luisa Zhou, LuisaZhou.com
6. Open the door and walk right in
"Like many women in business, I’ve looked through a lot of windows into rooms full of men. That experience makes it so easy to feel less-than, believing you’re inadequate and that you don’t belong in that room. So my advice to women struggling with imposter syndrome, especially in male-dominated industries, is to open the door for yourself and walk right in . . . because nobody is going to open it for you. It can be scary and might feel uncomfortable, but someone needs to be the first woman there. So take pride in breaking down the door, and hold it open for the others behind you.
"The self-doubt might never go away, but that’s a good thing. It prompts me to appraise myself, thinking about areas where I can develop while also reminding me that I am good enough. I’ve worked hard, learned a lot, and am capable of taking my career as far as I choose—and so is every woman (and man) out there."
—Laura Evans-Fisk, eurochange
7. Consider imposter syndrome to be an indicator of your success
"A unique way I have dealt with imposter syndrome is to recognize on days I don't feel like I am doing good enough, and thus tempted to believe I shouldn't be here in the first place, that these thoughts act as an indicator of my success. If I weren't contributing something meaningful, or had no interest whatsoever in what's happening around me, would my self-doubt even come up?
"My advice for those feeling this way is to recognize it as a sign that they are passionate about their work and remind themselves how hard they have worked to get there."
—Julia Kelly, Rigits
8. Don't allow fear of failure to hold you back
"The hardest part of imposter syndrome is worrying that one mistake will make you look incompetent or validate your perception of yourself. I find it so helpful to look to my greatest role models and see where they’ve seen failure. From Oprah Winfrey to Sheryl Sandberg to Bill Gates, they’ve all experienced setbacks and failures that could have stopped them in their tracks. Instead, they pushed on and found incredible success.
"It helps to look at failure as a learning tool and motivation to move forward. That way when failure happens, it doesn’t completely destroy your self-confidence. And if you fail, you’re in very good company with some of the greatest entrepreneurs of all time!"
—Denise Hemke, Checkr
9. Use reflection and peer support
"When I encounter feelings of self-doubt, I pause whatever I am doing and take 10 minutes to reflect on their origin. By pinpointing the source of these feelings, I can shift my thinking towards affirmations and restate factual evidence about my performance and capabilities. Additionally, I have found immense support through connections with other women in my industry. I have weekly calls with peers during which we can be vulnerable with each other and act as sources of validation for each other.
"Combining in-the-moment reflection techniques with ongoing support from like-minded individuals has been a very effective way for me to combat imposter syndrome. It has helped increase my confidence in my abilities to navigate the male-dominated venture capital industry with greater resilience and self-assurance."
—Maria Heyen, Scale VC
10. Develop an evidence-based self-assessment
"I've found that one way to combat imposter syndrome is to develop an evidence-based approach to self-assessment. Regularly documenting your achievements, skills, and positive feedback can provide a solid basis for countering self-doubt. When imposter syndrome starts to creep in, refer back to this evidence of your competence and contributions. This method allows you to confront your feelings with facts, thus weakening the grip of imposter syndrome."
—Dilruba Erkan, Morse Decoder
About the Author
Post by: Brett Farmiloe
Brett Farmiloe is the founder and CEO of Featured, a platform where business leaders can answer questions related to their expertise and get published in articles featuring their insights.
Company: Featured
Website:
www.featured.com
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