The five different types of impostor syndrome

Impostor Syndrome Archetypes

According to Dr. Valerie Young, a leading expert on the subject of impostor syndrome, these feelings of self doubt are not one-size-fits-all. Here are the five different types of impostor syndrome:

#1 Expert - You expect to know everything and feel ashamed when you don't.

#2 Soloist - You believe work must be accomplished alone and refuse to take any credit if you received any kind of assistance.

#3 Natural Genius - You tell yourself that everything must be handled with ease, otherwise it's not "natural talent".

#4 Superperson - You feel you should be able to excel at every role you take on in your life.

#5 Perfectionist - You set impossibly high standards for yourself and beat yourself up when you don't reach them.

Understanding the different types of impostor syndrome is an important first step, as each manifestation requires a unique toolkit of solutions to help overcome this common psychological trap experienced by professionals.

Read about the strategies to combat each type here.