Ascending the corporate ladder — especially as a woman in a male-dominated field — may seem on the outside like evidence of a person who has it all together. After all, that kind of achievement doesn’t just happen; it’s earned one day — and one impressed supervisor — at a time.
Internally, though, that experience often feels far more fraught: Even as they’re winning accolades and tackling dream projects, many women report struggling with questions of whether they deserve their professional success.
According to a KPMG survey of 750 executive women from across corporate America, 75 percent said they had personally experienced imposter syndrome at various points in their careers. Despite their impressive trajectories, the leadership roles they’ve risen to also carry high expectations, and more than half reported being afraid they wouldn’t measure up.
These feelings are hardly unique to C-suite incumbents, either: From the self-taught intern working with a team of Ivy League graduates to the external hire walking into a room of company veterans, everyone grapples with moments of self-doubt.
What is important in those moments, is channeling these feelings into opportunities for reflection, learning and connection.
Haley Hamilton, chief information officer at Revantage, a Blackstone Portfolio Company, told Built In Chicago why helping others is such an effective tool for combating imposter syndrome: “When we focus on lifting others up, it not only benefits them but also helps us gain a greater sense of purpose and confidence in our own abilities. It's important to recognize that we all have something to offer.”
Being open about the gaps in your knowledge and eager to put in the work to understand may also have unexpected benefits.
“I realized that once I started asking questions, that opened the door for other people in the room to ask follow-up questions,” said Dalal Beacom, release and DevOps manager at Origami Risk. “It became clear that I wasn't the only one feeling nervous.”
Read on for the techniques, mantras and secret weapons ten tech leaders lean on to move forward with confidence.
Optiver is a global trading firm that specializes in providing liquidity to financial markets.
Give us some background. How have you experienced imposter syndrome in your career?
As a woman in a male-dominated field, I have experienced imposter syndrome throughout my career journey. Optiver's tech department is divided into two domains — infrastructure and development — each with several tech leads. I was the first woman to join this group at Optiver US in 2020, which came with its own set of challenges. In May of 2021, I had my second child just as the pandemic was winding down and companies, including ours, were beginning to transition back to in-person work.
Due to my maternity leave, I returned to the office four months later than my colleagues — this time as a team lead instead of just an individual contributor. This meant not only was I responsible for my own projects and goals, but also for mentoring a team, setting goals and collaborating with other teams on problem-solving. This created a sense of doubt in my ability to catch up and effectively contribute. I set high expectations for myself to balance these responsibilities, which only added to my feelings of imposter syndrome.
How did you deal with your imposter syndrome? Was there a particular situation, quote, idea or person who helped change your perspective?
Dealing with imposter syndrome has been a journey for me, and I have found that reflecting on my accomplishments is one of the most effective ways to combat it. By taking the time to write down my contributions and the progress I have made, I am able to recognize my abilities and gain confidence in myself. This newfound confidence has enabled me to speak up and participate more fully in discussions.
Dealing with imposter syndrome has been a journey for me, and I have found that reflecting on my accomplishments is one of the most effective ways to combat it.
There is a particular situation that stands out to me, though. I expressed my doubts during a conversation with a colleague about a proposal, but my colleague reminded me that my voice and concerns were valuable. He said, "People will listen when you speak. Voice your concerns." This gave me the boost of confidence I needed to remember that I do belong and that I have achieved success in my career. This experience has helped change my perspective and has encouraged me to continue to reflect on my achievements and push past my feelings of imposter syndrome.
What advice would you give to other professional women who are dealing with imposter syndrome?
If you are dealing with imposter syndrome, my advice is to remember that you are not alone. Keep learning and stay curious, and don't be afraid to share your knowledge and experiences with others. By helping others overcome their own feelings of imposter syndrome, you can build your own confidence and achieve greater success in your career.
SpotHero helps drivers find and book parking spaces in cities across North America.
Give us some background. How have you experienced imposter syndrome in your career?
I started working as a Software Engineer in my first year, and was promoted to Senior Software Engineer in my second year, and then to team lead six months later. This is a steep growth and learning curve. As a team lead, I was asked to manage a team of male engineers, some of whom were more experienced than me. The team lead and architect meetings held every sprint were like the cherry on top of my imposter syndrome; this is where they talked about things I had little or no experience with or input to give.
How did you deal with your imposter syndrome? Was there a particular situation, quote, idea or person who helped change your perspective?
The chief product officer and chief technical officer noticed my silence in these meetings and arranged a three-way chat with me. They assured me that they made the right decision in making me a team lead, and believed in my capabilities, knowledge and talent. They understood that I may not be an expert in certain areas, but they believed I had the ability to ramp up on this front. It was up to me to accept the fact that just because I don’t know something does not make me weak or a person unfit for the job.
You are in your position because someone believes in your skill and talent.”
This conversation gave me a lot of courage. My biggest challenge was my first hand-raise moment in a team of tech leads and architects to ask a question. My question was well-received, and although it was a slow process, I gained a lot of confidence from the experience.
What advice would you give to other professional women who are dealing with imposter syndrome?
Remember that you are in your position because someone believes in your skill and talent. Now you have to believe in yourself. Accepting something you don’t know shows you are on a learning path. It may be intimidating at first to accept that you don’t know something in front of your peers, but once you breach that barrier, learning and growing in that area and in your confidence will become easier. If you observe any of your colleagues going through imposter syndrome, reach out to them and give them an encouraging push.
Revantage, a Blackstone Portfolio Company helps institutional investors optimize their real estate investments and improve their overall performance.
Give us some background. How have you experienced imposter syndrome in your career?
Early in my career, I worked in sales and trading at a foreign investment bank in New York City. The trading floor was a predictably male-dominated environment, and I struggled to find my place. I felt like I couldn't be myself and didn't belong. Eventually, these constant feelings of inadequacy became too much, and I quit after just six months in the position.
Later, though, I realized I was my own harshest critic.
There was another woman on my team, Lindsay, who was excelling in her role and seemed to have no issue thriving in this male-dominated space. To my surprise, after I’d left, my former manager told me they actually saw me as “the next Lindsay" during my time on the team. This revelation helped me recognize that I had the skills and knowledge to excel in my field. I was just getting in my own way.
I didn't need to change who I was to succeed, but I did need to feel passionate about my career.”
After leaving that role and working in new environments, I realized I didn't need to change who I was to succeed, but I did need to feel passionate about my career. Over time, I've learned to combat imposter syndrome and now use my experiences to mentor other women who may be struggling with similar feelings.
How did you deal with your imposter syndrome? Was there a particular situation, quote, idea or person who helped change your perspective?
Not many women hold roles as CIOs, and I have certainly experienced imposter syndrome throughout my career. However, I've learned to combat these feelings by reminding myself of a particularly helpful quote: "No one is thinking about you; they are all thinking about themselves."
Recognizing that people are primarily focused on their own thoughts and concerns has been a freeing realization for me. Additionally, understanding that no one has all the answers has helped me let go of the pressure to always be perfect. Often, we compare ourselves to an unrealistic standard, and we don't truly know the struggles or insecurities of others.
This has also impacted how I collaborate. Rather than being judgmental, I've learned to approach others with curiosity and openness. This not only helps me to grow and learn, but also creates a more supportive environment for everyone.
What advice would you give to other professional women who are dealing with imposter syndrome?
Seek out opportunities to help others succeed. This has been instrumental in managing my own self-criticism.
As a graduate of a women's college, Wellesley, I am particularly passionate about mentoring and empowering other women in the workplace. By sharing our knowledge and experiences, we can help others overcome their own self-doubt.
Additionally, I encourage women to find a supportive network of peers and mentors who can provide guidance and encouragement. This can include colleagues within your organization, industry groups, or even friends and family outside of work. Surrounding yourself with people who believe in you and your abilities can be a powerful antidote to feelings of imposter syndrome.
Ultimately, it's important to remember everyone experiences self-doubt at some point in their career. It’s an ongoing journey, but by acknowledging these feelings and actively working to manage them, we can overcome imposter syndrome and achieve our professional and personal goals.
Envoy Global simplifies the process of hiring and managing a global workforce with immigration services and software solutions.
Give us some background. How have you experienced imposter syndrome in your career?
I have at least a few I can think of. The technology space remains heavily skewed in terms of gender. I often find myself working with male colleagues who have more years under their belt than I do. I have always had male bosses, and for the most part, I have been the only female and the youngest one on these teams. The anxiety creeps in when you need to stand tall amongst that group, speak your mind, and assert your thoughts. I often doubt myself and second-guess my thoughts and ideas, even when they turn out to be good ones.
Also, as a leader in data and analytics, I regularly work with other business leaders to provide insights so they can make data-driven business decisions. At times, that can be very intimidating, and I end up questioning myself. I feel like my credibility is at stake, and if I say something wrong or present inaccurate information, then I am doomed. There is very little room for error for someone in the data field, so the anxiety creeps in.
How did you deal with your imposter syndrome? Was there a particular situation, quote, idea or person who helped change your perspective?
Over the years, I have learned to be more upfront, speak up and assert my thoughts and, most importantly, acknowledge mistakes with grace. This has helped me a lot in dealing with imposter syndrome. Also, as an immigrant and a woman of color, I have learned not to try to fit in. I used to always try hard to fit in in the early years of my career, but being authentic, confident in my own skin and true to myself have served me way better. If I don’t understand a pop culture reference or an abbreviation, so what?
Always ask yourself, “So what?” “I don’t fit in, so what?”
One of my coaches recently suggested that using physical props can make you feel more confident and help overcome imposter syndrome. It could be something as simple as wearing heels to make yourself look taller and feel stronger. Come to think of it, it’s true. For me, it’s red lipstick; it makes me feel like I am on top of the world, which boosts my self-esteem and confidence and can work wonders in an intimidating situation.
What advice would you give to other professional women who are dealing with imposter syndrome?
There will always be imposter syndrome; there is no way to cure it, but it can be managed. Be confident in your skin, be compassionate to yourself, be open to acknowledging your mistakes and keep on learning. I strongly believe the more you know your subject matter, the more confident you will be and the easier it will get to manage your imposter syndrome. Always ask yourself, “So what?” “I don’t fit in, so what?” “I need to present in front of a large audience, so what?”
Caxy is a digital strategy and web development firm.
Give us some background. How have you experienced imposter syndrome in your career?
I have been involved in the tech industry for at least 12 of the 15 years of my post-college working career. However, I really decided to go all in when I attended General Assembly’s full-stack web development bootcamp in 2015. I started at Caxy shortly after graduation as a junior developer. When I left bootcamp, I thought I was well-prepared for starting a job and that I had a comprehensive knowledge base. While in many ways that was true, I had no idea the scope of all the topics and fields within development that I still had very limited knowledge of.
In particular, one of the main languages of the tech stack when I started was one I had limited knowledge of. I felt like I had gotten in over my head and would never catch up. For the first few years of my career, I was able to spend more time on the front-end side of things, which helped me build my skills, confidence and knowledge base; but eventually, I had to tackle my next area of weakness — working on the backend, database architecture and server knowledge.
How did you deal with your imposter syndrome? Was there a particular situation, quote, idea or person who helped change your perspective?
I have dealt with imposter syndrome quite a bit during my career and I wish I could say there is a quick fix for it. Whenever I am promoted or given more responsibilities, it seems to make an appearance again: Will I be good enough? Should I be leading teams?
One thing that helped change my perspective was mentoring and teaching. When I was able to help mid- to senior-level developers with computer science degrees grow their skills, it reminded me that I belong in my role and am good at my job. While I still have days when I question myself, I try to recognize the self-doubt and refocus on finding a positive outcome. I'm fortunate to work in a welcoming culture at Caxy, where I can lean on other women in leadership roles.
In the words of Michelle Obama, “I still have a little imposter syndrome… It doesn’t go away, that feeling that you shouldn’t take me that seriously. What do I know? I share that with you because we all have doubts in our abilities, about our power and what that power is.”
What advice would you give to other professional women who are dealing with imposter syndrome?
Be patient with yourself and try not to be your own worst enemy. Countless women have dealt with imposter syndrome — you are in the company of greats such as, author and poet Maya Angelou, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomeyer and athlete Serena Williams, if you do have self-doubts from time to time.
Keep learning and growing. If you do happen to work in the tech industry, you know things are always changing, and you have to keep up with the shifts. I have spent countless hours of my free time working on building my programming skills and ensuring that I did the reps that many people have the benefit of doing during their college years in CS.
Be patient with yourself and try not to be your own worst enemy.”
In addition, embrace the idea of failure and work towards letting go of perfectionism. I know this is easier said than done. The first time I do something or work on something I haven’t done before, I mentally prepare myself that it could be a semi-disaster or could take longer than it maybe should. However, it also could go great. Either way, I’m going to use that experience to learn and grow. At Caxy we say if you shoot towards becoming one percent better each day, you can become unstoppable.
Prosodica uses conversational analytics to improve customer experiences.
Give us some background. How have you experienced imposter syndrome in your career?
Working in software and data analytics requires switching between tasks and striving to be knowledgeable with the latest techniques and technology; this has led me to question whether I know enough to be competent and cultured in my position. I often find myself in situations where I am the only woman in the room and on the younger end of the age range.
Despite the historical imbalance in representation within my chosen field of engineering, I believe that diversity is essential for progress and innovation. As such, I strive to contribute to ongoing efforts aimed at encouraging diversity and inclusion in engineering.
How did you deal with your imposter syndrome? Was there a particular situation, quote, idea or person who helped change your perspective?
I have been able to deal with imposter syndrome by consistently challenging my thoughts. When I have negative thoughts, I ask myself if those thoughts are based on facts or feelings. Often, imposter syndrome is not based on reality but rather on fear and self-doubt. I try to reframe my thoughts in a positive way, recognizing that I have earned my place at the table.
Often, imposter syndrome is not based on reality but rather on fear and self-doubt.”
There is no particular situation or quote that has changed my perspective; rather, it has been a continual process of learning through recommended books and understanding how to effectively communicate with people of different mindsets and personalities.
What advice would you give to other professional women who are dealing with imposter syndrome?
It is pertinent to acknowledge the existence of imposter syndrome. Once that recognition occurs, I allow myself to direct my energy toward what is in my control.
I would offer two pieces of advice to other professional women dealing with imposter syndrome: practice self-care and request feedback. Self-care looks different for everyone, but for me, it involves maintaining a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly. By taking care of my mental and physical state, I create time for activities that bring me joy.
Requesting feedback also empowers me to understand what strategies and systems work well, so I can continue to build on my strengths and improve my weaknesses. With self-awareness and self-care, it's possible to overcome self-doubt and thrive in your career.
ZS is a management consulting firm that works with clients in industries such as healthcare and biotechnology.
Give us some background. How have you experienced imposter syndrome in your career?
To be perfectly honest, I still wonder every day when I’ll be found out. Being one of the relatively few women within the architecture and engineering team, and constantly surrounded by highly experienced, talented colleagues, I often feel like I’m playing catch-up.
How did you deal with your imposter syndrome? Was there a particular situation, quote, idea or person who helped change your perspective?
As someone who still deals with imposter syndrome, I’ve been trying to reframe my perspective on my own limited knowledge in a more positive way. Recognizing how much I still have to learn is at least a sign that I’m not likely falling victim to the Dunning-Kruger effect and overestimating myself.
You are probably your own worst critic.”
I am also hopeful that sharing my own struggles with imposter syndrome will show other women in similar positions that they’re not alone.
What advice would you give to other professional women who are dealing with imposter syndrome?
Remember that you are probably your own worst critic. There will always be more to learn, everything can be done better and there will always be others with more knowledge or experience. But that doesn’t mean that what you have to contribute is invalid or inadequate in most circumstances.
Belvedere Trading is a proprietary trading firm that specializes in equity options trading.
Give us some background. How have you experienced imposter syndrome in your career?
When I had just started my career in finance, I had the opportunity to move into business intelligence from pure software development. Despite having no prior experience in analytics, I took on the role. However, I had a strange feeling and feared not being successful in it due to my lack of knowledge and working with senior executives. I often second-guessed my decision and doubted if I would last a day in the new team.
In this role, I reported directly to the chief financial officer and was always involved in preparing data and presentations that were important for business decisions. I was the only woman in the room and hesitated to speak up for fear of what the senior members of the team would think. There were times when my ideas were turned down or not well-received. Then, almost immediately, when the same idea was brought up by another male member of the team, it was taken seriously and considered a good idea, which reinforced my feeling of being an imposter.
How did you deal with your imposter syndrome? Was there a particular situation, quote, idea or person who helped change your perspective?
I got mad. I was tired of constantly feeling like I didn’t belong or was not good enough to contribute.
What helped me to deal with imposter syndrome was being over-prepared for meetings and presentations. I felt more confident to speak up when I had all the facts together and was thoroughly prepared on the topic from the inside out. I could answer any question that I received. Every time I get a feeling of imposter syndrome, I look back at my career to remind myself how far I have come, reflecting on my strengths and capabilities to take on new challenges.
What advice would you give to other professional women who are dealing with imposter syndrome?
You are much stronger than you think. Everyone might get imposter syndrome, but for women, it’s more challenging because we struggle with it all our lives in everything we do. Learn from your past experiences and adjust yourself to fill in those gaps so you can face the next situation better.
At Belvedere, we highlight wins of the week and our weekly team meeting starts with a segue where we share our best personal and professional news. Start celebrating your accomplishments, big or small, to boost your confidence.
Start celebrating your accomplishments, big or small, to boost your confidence.”
I also think back to my 10-year-old self — who once was told that soccer isn’t for her — and tell her that there is nothing in the world men can do that girls and women can’t. Keep trying until you get the job done. It’s okay to fail and make mistakes along the way, but don’t give up. You’ve got this!
Origami Risk offers a suite of web-based tools to help organizations manage and track risk, safety and insurance-related information.
Give us some background. How have you experienced imposter syndrome in your career?
After college, I got a job as a system engineer. I had to quickly learn how to design radio frequency communication systems. After a few months, I was promoted to customer engineer, where I was assigned to a large, strategic, and extremely vocal customer. I met weekly with their director and his communication task force. In addition, my responsibilities were to design their system, provide training, perform presentations, explain design decisions and address any issues. Everyone was familiar with this customer since he was well-known for being hard to please. He had a handful of sales and engineers thrown off of his project.
I was very intimidated by him and fearful that he would ask me a question that I couldn't answer. At the beginning, I didn’t feel that I was qualified to do the job and that I wouldn’t be able to meet his expectations. I studied for days in preparation for the next meeting. I would rehearse my presentations. Beforehand, I would check with the service team to get visibility on any issues. Even with all of this preparation, I was certain he would realize I wasn’t qualified.
In the end, though, I proved to him and myself that I was the best person for the job.
How did you deal with your imposter syndrome? Was there a particular situation, quote, idea or person who helped change your perspective?
I consider myself a quiet person and prefer to listen and gather as much information as possible before I say anything. I struggled for a long time with the fear that someone was going to discover that I didn't have all of the answers. I still struggle with this especially when I take on a new role or join a new organization. Once I have become familiar with the topic, I am fine.
My mother, who has mentored and helped many women with their careers and starting their own businesses, has always been there to encourage me. When I look at her, I think of the hardships and hurdles she has overcome and that helps me keep things in perspective. She is fearless and leads by example. I may feel uncomfortable for a while, but I must remind myself that I have a great opportunity to learn something new.
I also have a supportive manager who encourages questions and conversations and is there to provide guidance.
What advice would you give to other professional women who are dealing with imposter syndrome?
However nervous I may feel, I am twice as excited to be involved in something new. It will seem uncomfortable at first, but keep reminding yourself that you have been given an opportunity to grow.
However nervous I may feel, I am twice as excited to be involved in something new.”
When attending meetings, understand the purpose of the meeting; gather information beforehand by talking to others and do research. I find it helpful to find someone else who is working on resolving similar issues and bounce ideas off each other. Many times, we uncover solutions much quicker.
Something else that has helped me is when I have some free time, I will reach out to a coworker to see if they need help with anything. No matter how trivial they may think it is, it provides an opportunity for me to work and help someone on something that I may not have exposure to. This allows me to build my knowledge base.
Finally, don’t be so hard on yourself. You are not going to have all the answers, but you should know where to get the needed information. If you are asked a question and don’t know the answer, let the other person know you will need to get back to them. Do your due diligence, get the answers and share your findings.
Wonderlic provides cognitive ability tests and other pre-employment assessments to help organizations make more informed hiring decisions.
Give us some background. How have you experienced imposter syndrome in your career?
The field of data science is vast and relatively new, so the backgrounds of those working in it can vary greatly. I'm mostly self-taught, using a mix of online classes, blog posts and textbooks to learn about data science, coding and statistics. Being in a room with data scientists who have higher degrees or years of experience has often led to me feel imposter syndrome — there's so much to learn and discover that I often feel like a fraud with just a fraction of their knowledge.
This was especially prevalent when I was in a brainstorming meeting with my team where we were trying to come up with different plans of attack for tackling a problem using machine learning. It felt like everyone else was coming up with new ideas left and right, tossing out approaches I had never heard of before. I didn't feel like I was able to speak up or contribute anything new or meaningful to the conversation.
How did you deal with your imposter syndrome? Was there a particular situation, quote, idea or person who helped change your perspective?
The most impactful experience that has helped me deal with my imposter syndrome has actually been attending data science conferences. While conferences are great for learning new things and discovering new approaches and ideas, I've also found them to be incredibly helpful in gauging how much I know and how much I've learned since the last one.
Frequently, the people who seem most knowledgeable are experiencing imposter syndrome, too.”
It's helped me shift my mindset from "there's so much I don't know" to "there's so much I've learned in the past year and so much more to learn." It also helped to hear the questions asked after conference presentations, whether they were questions I had as well or ones I easily knew the answer to. Both types helped put into perspective my hard-won knowledge and skills.
What advice would you give to other professional women who are dealing with imposter syndrome?
Rather than comparing yourself to those around you, put your knowledge and skills into context and create internal benchmarks to track your progress. Frequently, the people who seem most knowledgeable are experiencing imposter syndrome, too. Comparing yourself to your past self can help with that feeling of "There's so much I don't know!
