Impostor Syndrome Part III: 5 ‘Competence Types’ and How They Contribute to Impostor Feelings

Ok, friends. Let’s continue our exploration of the impostor syndrome. Anchored in Valerie Young’s book The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women, we’ve covered the definition of impostor syndrome and why it might be a thing for you (and me). In this post, we will cover five ways that our beliefs around competence contribute to this phenomenon.

Competence Types

Competence–the ability to do something successfully or efficiently–and our view of the same is integral in impostor syndrome. People who wrestle with fraud feelings tend to have extremely high standards and unrealistic expectations for themselves. What you believe is needed in order to be viewed as talented, knowing, and effective often outpaces reality.

In chapter six, Ms. Young explores the notion of competence and the ways in which it presents. There are five ‘competence types’–aka self-limiting beliefs regarding what it takes to be competent. The book goes into a ton of detail on each of them along with ways to address. I’ve only included highlights in the table below (for more insight, I encourage you to pick it up!). While you may be able to identify with more than one, there is usually a dominant archetype.

	View of Competence	Reframe
The Perfectionist	Single focus on how something is done; there is a right and a wrong way to do everything.	Sometimes good is good enough Your perfectionism impacts others
The Natural Genius	Judge yourself based on ease and speed; expect to excel without effort.	Effort trumps ability Real success always takes time
The Expert	Primary concern is how much knowledge or skill you possess; belief you need to know everything there is to know before you feel competent.	There are many paths to expertise You don’t need to know everything, you just need to be smart enough to find someone who does
The Rugged Individualist	True competence equals solo, unaided achievement; the only achievements that count are those you reached on your own.	Competent people know how to ask for what they need Your work does not have to be groundbreaking to be good
The Superwoman/Man	Competence rests on the ability to juggle multiple roles masterfully; focus on how many things you can handle along with how well you do those things.	Delegating frees you and gives others the chance to participate Being a Superwoman sends an unhealthy message to your daughters and son

*Adapted from The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women by Valerie Young

Where Do I Fall?

For those who know me, I’m sure this will not be a surprise: I fall squarely into “The Perfectionist” competence type. Hello? Ever worked on a deck with me??? Sincerest apologies, if so. And apologies in advance if that endeavor is on the horizon (I kid, I kid).

I struggle royally with perfectionism. Combine that with a few ‘protecting mechanisms’ discussed in chapter four–namely overpreparing, hyper diligence, and a commitment to hard work–and it’s no wonder the word “workaholic” has been used to describe me a time or two (or 10).

Confession

The most immediate example of this is…this blog.

I sat on this blog for about five months (exhibit A: first post from September; it’s January for goodness’ sake and I still haven’t launched at time of this writing!). If you add ideation, it’s more like five years. As I’ve stated previously, I kept waiting for the perfect circumstances, and the perfect timing, and the perfect launch plan. Spoiler alert: I have none of those things. Zero. And…here I am. Fueled by the learnings from this book, an overwhelming desire to serve and (finally) the courage to get out of my damn head and just start. Where I am.

Turning Point

As Ms. Young states: “perfectionism is a hard habit to break because it’s self-reinforcing. Because you do overprepare, you often turn out a stellar performance, which in turn reinforces your drive to maintain that perfect record.”

I have incredibly high expectations for the quality of my work, which has undoubtedly contributed to my success. However, there are consequences to my doggedness; the implications of my beliefs are not isolated to me. As a leader, my team is impacted by my expectations. As a wife and a mom, my family is impacted by my expectations. As a daughter/sister/aunt/friend, my entire circle is impacted by my beliefs and expectations. When I’m hyper-focused on preparation–or on perfection–I’m not focused on something else. Be it celebrating success, coaching, or just being present, something suffers.

I’m happy to say that I’ve turned the corner (ok, maybe a slow turn…like say a cruise ship; but we’re turning!). I realized my quest for perfection wasn’t sustainable and something had to give. Early days but I feel good about my reframe and the outcome, thus far, is inspiring.

Et Tu?

I encourage you to take a moment and reflect: with which of these types do you resonate? The good news–you’re not alone. As stated before, this is all pretty common. The even better news–you can push beyond these self-limiting beliefs. The sooner we acknowledge they exist, the sooner we can move towards realistic standards for ourselves. And when we’ve placed the goal-post in reach, we’ll have more confidence, celebrate our successes, and mitigate impostor feelings once and for all.