Do you feel like an imposter? Don’t judge! So do the majority of leaders in your team.

Through thousands of hours of leadership coaching, common themes emerge regardless of roles, backgrounds, genders or ages. One is ‘Imposter Syndrome’. Whilst it is evident that most of leaders have a wealth of experience, knowledge, skill and core passion for what they do, for many (approximately 85%) there is this lurking shadow of feeling like they:

• Shouldn’t be in their role. 

• Are not really good enough. 

• Are just pretending when we step into our professional shoes. 

In this blog we seek to explore the concept of imposter syndrome more deeply, its manifestation in the field of education and why so many of us experience it, looking at its intriguing connection with the conditioned mind according to Kegan's framework . 

i. Imposter Syndrome: A Persistent Struggle

Imposter Syndrome, a term coined in the 1970s, describes the feeling of wearing a mask despite evident and external success. It plagues many, limits beliefs, but is particularly prevalent in high-achieving professionals such as educational leadership. Harvard psychologist Robert Kegan's theory of adult development helps explain why imposter syndrome may persist in individuals. It is a psychological phenomenon in which individuals doubt their accomplishments and live in fear of being exposed as not living up to perceived expectations. These feelings can be paralysing, with anxiety as the root feelings. This prevents one from embracing their achievements or stepping out of embedded cycles of behaviour, limiting change, growth and innovation. In the realm of education, where success is often measured by the observable progress of students and sweeping Ofsted grades creates a spotlight of pressure that overwhelms an imposter. When this happens it can manifest in a number of ways including: 

The School Headteacher Living in Fear

These individuals carry the responsibility of managing a school, yet many constantly question their capability. They may fear that they lack the qualities required to lead, believing they are mere actors on the educational stage surrounded by a theatre of critics.

This has broader implications for teachers and learners as decisions are made from fear and/or people pleasing. This leads to shifting goal posts and uncertainty in the culture. It also shows up in teachers and learners:

The Teacher Who Doubts Their Competence

Imagine a young, passionate teacher who works tirelessly to engage students and enhance their learning experience. Despite positive feedback from students, parents, and colleagues, this teacher constantly second-guesses their ability to educate effectively as so much of our key growth is tacit- below the surface. They may feel like an imposter, attributing their successes to luck rather than their teaching skills.

The Perfectionist Who Never Feels Adequate

Too often learners hold themselves to account against grading and societal pressures to achieve. At this stage of development, young people are never more vulnerable to external values and put themselves under immense pressure to meet expectations that they do not own.

ii. So What Triggers Imposter Syndrome?

Imposter syndrome's roots are complex and can be triggered by various factors, such as:

1. Perfectionism: The relentless pursuit of perfection sets unrealistic standards and may lead to imposter syndrome when these standards aren't met.

2. Cultural and Societal Expectations: Societal pressures to succeed, especially in competitive fields like education, can exacerbate imposter syndrome.

3. Past Experiences: Childhood or past experiences can shape self-perception and trigger imposter syndrome.

4. Over-Identification with Work: If an individual's self-worth is solely tied to their work, imposter syndrome may emerge when work-related challenges arise.

Rober Kegan’s theory of adult development offers valuable insights into the conditioned mind and its links to impostor syndrome. His model suggests that individuals progress through different stages of mental development, one being the conditioned mind.

The Conditioned Mind is the second stage in Kegan’s framework. At this stage, individuals are heavily influenced by external factors like societal expectations, cultural norms, and the opinions of authority figures. They adopt and internalise these influences, forming the foundation of their identity and belief systems- their assumptions and attitudes that inform decision making and therefore behaviour and consequence.

iii. The Conditioned Mind

As a stage of development in itself, the Conditioned Mind has lots of benefits through its key characteristic of conformity to external norms. This conformity fosters social cohesion and harmony which can create effective collaboration across groups of people. People at this stage also find comfort in familiarity such as established practices, routines, traditions which within education, can be reflected in the consistency of teaching approaches and school policies. This also creates stability and continuity as individuals at the conditioned mind stage typically resist drastic changes.

Like with all things though, it is balanced out with the negatives and comes with inherent limitations. Although in some respects a strength, resistance to change can prevent much needed and progressive reforms and necessary change to move forward; this rigidity can create a lack of adaptability and conformity which stifles an individual’s ability to think and work creatively.

There is no one thing crafting the mask, as you would expect, it is multifactorial. Influences originate from our family, peers, education experience, workplace and wider society. 

As our first social sphere, family members instill values, norms and behaviours that become integral to our identity from early childhood and form the foundation of our worldview. Family is highly influential. As we progress through childhood, we experience peer pressure, group normals and an incredibly strong desire to fit in and be accepted which can lead to conformity and the adoption of specific attitudes and behaviours. You have likely come across the terms ‘mob mentality’, ‘herd behaviour’ or ‘groupthink’ which are powerful examples of how the conditioned mind is heavily influenced by external factors. Factors such as social pressure, group dynamics, a seeking of external validation, power, and fear of rejection, ultimately leading to a lack of critical and rational independent thinking and a prioritisation of group consensus..

Following on from this, the structure we experience through our schools and education systems influence our intellectual development and often condition our thinking systems, knowledge base and our problem solving approaches. This then extends into our experience of the workplace as corporate culture, management practices and workplace norms that reinforce behaviour you may associate with a playground into our professional behaviour, life routines, ethics and career ambitions. Even when stepping out of the family home, the bigger parent, society (and social media), perpetuates cultural norms. expectations and ideologies. Of course this can differ significantly depending on our contexts as we progress through these different life stages and environments. Yet even in positive contexts, the conditioned imposter can still be limited by the glass ceiling placed on them before.

The Key- External Validation 

The key consequence of a conditioned mind, shaped by the external environment, is that it relies on external validation. Having awareness and literacy of these conditioning forces empowers individuals to objectify them and begin to deconstruct the past pressures, replacing the goal of survival with beginning to seek how we can self-author our journey to one of flourishing. These goals create very different feelings when achieved and these feelings are instrumental in shifting embedded attitudes.

So how does the conditioned mind connect to imposter syndrome?

The conditioned mind’s fixation on conformity and external validation may contribute to imposter syndrome primarily through the fear of nonconformity. In this case individuals may fear stepping outside of established norms to be vulnerable especially if they perceive their achievements as different from the norm. Individuals may also experience an over-reliance on external validation through receiving the positive feedback and opinion of others, especially those in authority positions. Without external validation and achieving in line with the rest of the community, imposter syndrome can take hold.

This can also go the other way. Such is the fear of the system asking you to conform, that nonconformity becomes the only answer. This is particularly apparent with young people as they have very few other options. At least when an adult you can change role. As a pupil you have to attend the lessons despite the fear attached to prior negative experiences. They are anxious before even stepping into the classroom. 

The resulting resistance the imposter has to change can lead to stagnation in personal growth. When our identity is tied to external norms we can struggle to acknowledge our own expertise and achievements; we may also lack the drive to move forward and progress ourselves outside of external expectations or move in a different direction possibly for fear of push back and how it will be perceived by others possibly for not exploring beyond the confines of external norms and ‘having no initiative’. 

iv. Overcoming Imposter Syndrome and Advancing Beyond the Conditioned Mind

While imposter syndrome may be closely linked to the Conditioned Mind, individuals can take steps to overcome these challenges and progress to higher stages of mental development, as described in Kegan's model.

1. Self-Awareness: Recognizing the presence of imposter syndrome is the first step. Individuals can work on understanding the roots of their self-doubt and address them. Sometimes this may have simply occurred from a change of context and after time it quietens down. Our senses become heightened with change and bringing in physiological management is key to accelerate this.

2. Embrace Lifelong Learning to provide the literacy beneath the question of why: Emphasise personal growth and continuous learning. Finding the next step when stepping away from the constraints of rigid conformity.

3. Appreciation: Stopping and reflecting is key to change on a psychological and physiological level. Marking key successes creates clarity for yourself and others when times are tough, but appreciation also shifts you into a positive emotional state and therefore a physiological state of recovery and growth.

4. Seek Support: Encourage teachers, educational leaders, and students to seek to speak openly to support through initiatives such as mentorship and coaching. This can help them gain confidence, recognise their value, and navigate the complexities of imposter syndrome. When others model the courage required for vulnerable conversations, it often inspires others to also.

v. Conclusion

Imposter syndrome, a common experience in education, is closely intertwined with the Conditioned Mind stage in Kegan's framework of adult development. By understanding the link between the two, as educators, we can take steps to overcome self-doubt, embrace our true expertise, and foster a more innovative and adaptable educational environment. The path to self-assured leadership in education involves recognising the influence of the Conditioned Mind and unlocking one's full potential.

If you are interested in addressing your own or your team’s imposter syndrome, reach out to us. As coaches our sessions are always confidential and non-judgemental so you may be able to speak with us more comfortably than others in your team or leaders.

Exploring cutting edge coaching opportunities further for either yourself or your team can help take off the mask and the benefits it can offer more widely for your organisation is truly transformation. Please book a discovery call or contact us at info@glasshouselab.com.

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Reference: 
Kegan, R. (1982). The Evolving Self: Problem and process in human development. Harvard University Press.