An imposter syndrome workshop with Kelley’s Carolyn Goerner

In this article:

• Learn how to identify imposter syndrome in yourself. 
• Discover tips for lessening the effects of imposter syndrome in yourself and others. 
• Learn how to direct the energy from imposter syndrome in more productive, holistic ways.

Do you have imposter syndrome? Unaddressed, it can lead to self-sabotage and other issues that can negatively impact your personal growth and career. Carolyn Goerner, clinical professor of management, met with Master of Science in Management (MSM) students to walk us through this very common experience and to explain how to combat it daily. Imposter syndrome is commonly felt by talented high achievers—and the MSM program is full of them.  

What is imposter syndrome? 

A big component is self-doubt. This can manifest in many different ways, as exemplified by: 

• The expert, who feels she must know everything about a topic but never feels like she knows enough. 
• The workaholic, who tells himself, “I’m not as talented as everyone else so I need to work twice as hard.” 
• The natural genius, who gives up on things she’s not immediately good at because it makes her feel incompetent. 
• The perfectionist, who might make a minute mistake, then spends far more energy worrying about this mistake than it deserves. 

While imposter syndrome might seem like a silly thing to experience, it has real-world consequences. Those feeling imposter syndrome have tendencies to self-sabotage, undervalue their own worth, fail to assert themselves when necessary, and remain stagnant in their growth due to fear they won’t be good enough when they try new things or enter new roles. As blossoming professional leaders, it is vital that MSM students understand these effects and mitigate them as thoroughly as possible. 

Imposter syndrome exercises 

Goerner shared easy ways to feel grounded in self-confidence, such as: 

• Stockpile emails with good news in an Outlook folder (a positive reminder of accomplishments for a rainy day) 
• Create a playlist of songs that always make you feel good 
• Stop dismissing compliments with phrases like, “I’m not as good as___” or “I’ll never be ___,”and instead, simply say, “Thank you!”  
• Remind yourself of your talents and accomplishments. Here is a sample journal entry: “I’m good at ____. Being good at this is important because ____.” This prompt recalibrates our minds to be kinder, to remember the quality work we’ve accomplished in the past, and to know we are capable of whatever we set our minds to. Our past accomplishments prove this ambition and acumen.  

Don’t keep it to yourself

Another great way to limit imposter syndrome is to be transparent about it and communicate when you’re feeling it to peers, as they likely feel the exact same way. Practicing giving and receiving compliments and harboring positive/kind communities allows more psychological safety for all. Goerner led us in an exercise where we discussed different times and scenarios when we felt imposter syndrome, and the camaraderie within the room noticeably improved as we realized this shared experience.

Goerner’s imposter syndrome workshop for students helped us understand the sources of imposter syndrome and how we as a cohort might improve each other’s lives by communicating openly and honestly with each other and remembering that at the end of the day, we are in this journey together.

A big thanks to Professor Goerner for her assistance with our personal development! Goerner is the faculty chair of Kelley Executive Education Programs and the John Long Distinguished Faculty Fellow for KEEP Leadership.

This post was written by Katie Kobold, MSM’25. Katie began the MSM program after earning bachelor’s degrees from Indiana University in psychology and English and a neuroscience certificate.