Impostor syndrome

By Thomas Davidsen, freelancer

You got good grades in school, and now you’re also performing well at work. Your boss and colleagues see you as skilled and reliable, giving you positive feedback. But you can’t see it yourself—and no matter what they say, you can’t accept it. Because you don’t feel you’ve done anything special. Instead, you focus on the small things that didn’t live up to your own high expectations.

Inside your head, you torment yourself with negative thoughts. When you’re praised, you believe people are either being dishonest with you or simply haven’t discovered how incompetent you “really” are. It feels like only a matter of time before you’re exposed. As a result, you develop growing performance anxiety at work and risk sliding into something resembling a stress breakdown.

Danes who convince themselves they’re not good enough are becoming an increasing problem, says consultant Ann C. Schødt, co-author of the book 'Impostor-komplekset’.

The book describes the psychological pattern in which people doubt their achievements with such persistent fear of being revealed as inadequate that they close in on themselves and gradually lose confidence. At the same time, they put on a confident mask outwardly, hoping to hide their imagined incompetence.

According to the latest research, the impostor phenomenon stems from a complex mix of personality traits, upbringing, and workplace culture. Introverted and sensitive people with high intelligence are especially vulnerable, Schødt believes.

“If you also had parents who were either highly critical of your performance in childhood or, on the contrary, praised you to the skies no matter what you did, you often end up with unrealistically high expectations of yourself. And if, on top of that, you go to work every day in a culture where perfection is the norm, all the conditions are in place for the impostor phenomenon to strike hard,” says Schødt.

Breaking negative beliefs

Not everyone has a fully realistic view of their own abilities. Most people tend to either over- or underestimate themselves.

Some may eventually gain professional confidence but still struggle with low self-esteem in the background. But those affected by impostor tendencies are constantly scanning for areas where they fall short, Schødt explains.

“It can function like a hidden inferiority complex well into your career. Maybe you always sensed a slightly low self-esteem—but who doesn’t? Perhaps you were one of those perfectionist straight-A students, but you managed to work your way through it. Then one day you change jobs—or even get promoted to a leadership position where you’re in the spotlight. Suddenly, your self-criticism flares up. You start obsessing over every mistake and worry constantly about colleagues noticing your ‘incompetence.’”

Unless it triggers a full stress collapse, progress can be made quite quickly once you start addressing impostor tendencies, Schødt argues.

“It’s about confronting the negative beliefs you carry and comparing them with a realistic picture. You may not be a world champion—but you’re certainly not as hopeless as you keep telling yourself,” she says, adding:

“Since those suffering from the impostor phenomenon are often highly gifted people, with a little support they’re also capable of understanding and unravelling the pattern—and gradually changing it.”

The fear of being fake

In Danish culture, it’s easy to feel that you’re not good enough, says Einar Baldursson, an Icelandic specialist in work and organizational psychology at Aalborg University.

“Danes emphasize community and solidarity. As a result, people would rather downplay their individual skills than talk them up. They tend to be modest, framing their abilities as less than they truly are. The culture is tough on those who oversell themselves, and people are quick to marginalize anyone who doesn’t follow the rules. This fuels the fear of being caught pretending to be something you’re not.”

The much-criticized Jantelov (Law of Jante) is actually remarkable because it underpins Denmark’s unique collaborative culture, Baldursson adds.

“Danes should be proud of the Jantelov. But the downside is that it leaves many unsure whether they’re truly as competent as others think. It fuels the impostor trait, which resembles perfectionism but is something different."

"It’s the thought that even your successes aren’t ‘real.’ Can I really do this, or am I just good at faking it? Do they say I’m competent because they like me?”

Knowledge in progress

Another cultural reason for self-doubt, Baldursson notes, is the uncertainty around what competencies actually mean today.

“In the industrial era, skills were practical, trainable, and measurable. In today’s knowledge economy, competencies are temporary and quickly become outdated. New generations are highly capable people who are never quite sure what they know or whether they’re up to date. Competence feels like wet soap—it slips through your fingers. Knowledge is always in progress. And when you can’t be sure what you can do, it increases anxiety. For some, this leads to the idea that even their skills might be a form of self-deception.”

Part of a community

Baldursson recalls working with a female leader who suffered from impostor feelings and eventually collapsed from stress.

“She was highly skilled, extremely dutiful, and good at including others. Then her workplace went through a restructuring with staff turnover and conflict. She convinced herself she wasn’t a good leader at all—that it had all been an act. Her best qualities turned against her. The way forward for her was a work-psychological assessment focusing on facts. We went through what she had actually done as a leader—what succeeded, what didn’t. Instead of convincing her she had never made mistakes, we reframed her perceived failures as learning experiences. Within six months, she was ready to lead again.”

Simply naming what people are struggling with provides enormous relief, Baldursson stresses.

“The moment you realize it’s natural to doubt your own abilities, things change. It has a name: the impostor phenomenon. Once you can identify your experiences, you become part of a community. You’re no longer alone. In today’s world, it’s normal to put on a ‘competence performance’—that’s just how things work. When you react with self-doubt, it simply means you have a strong sense of responsibility,” says Baldursson.