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Imposter syndrome: the leadership challenge no one talks about but affects everyone
Imposter syndrome is becoming increasingly common in healthcare and life sciences, affecting leaders at every level. Understanding how it shows up in ourselves and in our teams is the first step to reducing its impact and unlocking better performance.
Imposter syndrome is on the rise and its impact is particularly visible in healthcare and life sciences, where organisations are compressing, pivoting and restructuring before they begin their next phase of growth. In conversations with leaders globally, one pattern keeps emerging: more people, at more senior levels, are struggling with the sense that they’re not quite enough.
For leaders, addressing this means two things. First, recognising it in yourself. And second, learning how to support others through their own imposter syndrome so they can contribute at their best.
Hunton Executive recently sat down with Wayne Reuben, who has led multiple medical device companies and is now deeply focused on imposter syndrome in his work as an executive coach and consultant.
“As a corporate leader, one of the things I came to recognise that was so common in upcoming and talented people was this sense of ‘Can I do this? Are you sure you’ve got the right person?’” says Wayne. “I realised the extent it wasn’t just holding people back; it was eating people.”
For Wayne, this is not an abstract concept. He has seen it across markets, functions and cultures. “I see how much it impacts people and helping them minimise it sets them free.”
Recognising imposter syndrome
To understand why imposter syndrome is so pervasive, it helps to look briefly at where the concept came from and what it actually describes.
The term ‘imposter phenomenon’ was first coined in 1978 by psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes. It described a persistent sense of intellectual fraudulence among high-achieving professionals but was never formally defined as a clinical condition. Over time, it evolved in popular language into what we now call ‘imposter syndrome’, despite the fact that it has no diagnostic criteria and no agreed psychological definition.
At its core, it reflects a persistent belief that you’re not good enough. This is separate to normal feelings of nerves triggered when people are confronted with high-stakes moments, such as presenting to senior stakeholders or making a multimillion-dollar decision.
“Instead of trusting their instincts or using their training, people have a persistent feeling they’re not good enough,” Wayne explains.
“It’s more than nerves – it becomes a debilitating feeling that you’re not the person who can do a task.”
And while imposter syndrome is often framed through a gender lens, the research tells a more nuanced story. A recent meta-analysis of more than 40,000 people found only a moderate difference between men and women. A large systematic review reached the same conclusion, reinforcing that imposter feelings occur across genders, professions and career stages
Background and context can also shape these feelings, particularly for people entering spaces where they have historically been underrepresented.
Wayne points to the example of former Vice President Kamala Harris, who has spoken about her own feelings of imposter syndrome as the first female, first African American, and first Asian American U.S. vice president and Attorney General of California.
“And there I was, sitting in the office, and I thought: ‘Oh my god, I’m now the elected DA of a major city in the United States,’” she was quoted as saying in a news article.
The power of self-recognition
Imposter syndrome is also far more common than most leaders realise. A large systematic review found prevalence rates ranging widely across studies, with some professions reporting figures as high as 82%. Pauline Clance, who first identified the phenomenon, similarly noted that the majority of high-achieving professionals experience these feelings at least once in their working lives.
Self-recognition begins with distinguishing imposter syndrome from normal anxiety. Making your first presentation to the board, for example, will naturally create nerves — and in fact, that stress response can be helpful because it creates adrenaline that drives us forward. Imposter syndrome, by contrast, spreads across multiple aspects of your role. It is broader, deeper and more pervasive.
A second step can be to take an objective view.
“Look at your 360s, KPIs and deliverables. If your objective self sees good results, but your subjective self still says you’re not up to it, then that’s imposter syndrome,” Wayne says.
Once you’ve recognised imposter syndrome, the following practices can help interrupt the cycle of self-doubt before it becomes entrenched.
- Be self-aware and comfortable with imposter syndrome if you see it in yourself. It isn’t something to hide or be ashamed of, but it is something to work on.
- Talk about it. Seek out mentors, peers or leaders who’ve been there before. Sharing these experiences creates connection and perspective.
Recognising it in others as a leader
Leaders also carry a second responsibility: recognising imposter syndrome in the people around them. And with prevalence so high, it often shows up far more frequently than most leaders expect, especially in high-pressure environments.
“Rather than thinking ‘Is there someone who might have imposter syndrome?’, I assume that at least one or two people in every room do,” Wayne says.
“I encourage leaders is to be proactive and go look for imposter syndrome in your team. Don’t think it’s rare, because it’s not.”
Recognising it requires connection. Leaders who spend time checking in, asking how people feel and creating safe moments for honesty are far more likely to uncover what’s really going on. Sometimes, simply asking how confident a person feels in a decision creates an opening.
“It’s looking for little moments that can ask little questions that give people openings,” Wayne explains.
There are other subtle signs, like when someone who normally moves quickly begin procrastinating when confronted with a big initiative. A newly promoted leader may suddenly second-guess decisions they once made easily.
Just as important is noticing when no one shows signs of self-doubt.
“If you don’t have trust with multiple layers of leadership in the organisation, and a certain amount of vulnerability, then people will keep masking. So, the other side of this is: if you don’t see any imposter syndrome at all, then the likelihood is people are hiding it from you.”
Addressing it in your team
Once leaders know what to look for, the real impact comes from how they respond.
If as many as 80% of people experience imposter syndrome at some stage, then addressing it has the potential to unlock enormous productivity and confidence across an organisation.
Wayne notes that the first step is surprisingly simple: start having real conversations. And within those conversations, validation matters most.
“It’s like telling someone who’s anxious to calm down. You can’t make them feel better by dismissing how they’re feeling,” Wayne says. “The most powerful thing you can say is ‘I get it.’”
Normalisation alone can create a dramatic shift.
The second step is reassurance; not in the superficial sense, but in helping someone trust their own judgement.
Mentoring can be transformative as well. Talking to someone who has navigated similar fears provides lived experience, perspective and a sense of capability.
Using it to our advantage
Beyond overcoming imposter syndrome, there is an opportunity to use it as a source of strength rather than a barrier.
“Humility is one of the greatest features in a leader. And leaders who’ve at one point suffered from imposter syndrome are unlikely to lack humility. Some self-doubt is good, as it stops us believing we’re right about everything,” Wayne says.
Self-admitted imposter syndrome sufferer Kamala Harris says the same.
“I think there is a lot that is good with having a certain level of humility, and in particular when the people have vested you with great power, to understand that it’s not about you. I think that is part and parcel of what we call imposter syndrome … I think often it is because they understand how serious the job is on behalf of others, and I applaud a bit of honest humility, not feigned humility, ” she is quoted as saying in a news article.
Over time, leaders who insist on always being right often fall behind those who take a more collaborative approach. Imposter syndrome, by contrast, can drive you to prepare thoroughly, build stronger teams and recognise where you need complementary strengths. It also removes the fear of hiring people who are better than you at certain things, replacing competition with confidence.
As Wayne reminds us: “We never fully get rid of imposter syndrome. We just put it back in its box, and recognise that it helps you be the best version of you.”
And that may be its unexpected value, because when acknowledged and managed, imposter syndrome can foster humility, empathy and a leadership style that brings people together.
About Hunton Executive
Hunton Executive specialises in Global Executive and Board Search for Healthcare and Life Sciences, partnering with organisations to appoint the next generation of leadership. With trusted expertise across Board, C-suite, functional, and enterprise roles in domestic, regional, and international markets, we connect you with exceptional leaders. Reach out for a confidential chat.