Imposter syndrome comes in many forms. Dr. Valerie Young defines five types in her book: The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer. Let’s explore these types, plus a couple more, below.
In reality, people may find themselves fitting more than one type over time. See if you recognize yourself in any of these patterns of thought and behavior. This way, you can work to overcome them.
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The perfectionist
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The Superwoman/man/person
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The Natural Genius
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The Soloist
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The Expert
1. The Perfectionist
As the name indicates, this type has to be sure everything gets done with perfection. Achieving an outcome or completing a task is never enough.
The perfectionist is always hungry for more success, better outcomes, and higher prestige. Perfectionism results in feeling unsatisfied no matter how much hard work they do and ambitious goals they achieve.
Example: A manager is always asking a direct report for updates on the project progress. When she gets the progress report, she’s constantly telling them how to improve their process and how the projects must be done every step of the way.
Underlying emotion: fear of losing control
2. The Superwoman/man/person
This type thrives in showing off their ability to take on a lot of work in a short period of time. They are willing to work overtime to achieve the validation of their colleagues and managers.
They are trying to prove that they are capable of handling anything.
Example: An individual contributor who takes her job very seriously and offers her time and support to her colleagues. She goes out of her way to take on work even during holidays or scheduled time off. She is happy to do the work, even on her own time.
Underlying emotion: fear of free time and taking time away from work for personal fulfillment
3. The Natural Genius
This type of imposter thrives on being so quick and slick in getting things done. They believe that they got it right the first time. Feedback cycles, critique, or rework is threatening — if they didn’t get it right, they failed. They put minimal effort into their work yet often succeed.
This pattern of minimal effort and good results was likely there throughout their lives. They never have to put in the extra work, until they do.
Example: A new accountant who just graduated top of his class always found that the classwork came easily. He never had to spend late nights studying for anything. He gets into the workplace and feels overwhelmed with the expectations. He’s not always able to get his calculations according to his manager’s satisfaction.
When his manager asks him to spend some time with his colleague to learn the process, he feels uncomfortable and insulted. He doesn’t need anyone to tell him how to do his work more than once.
Underlying emotion: shame of failing
4. The Soloist
Like the Natural Genius, this type is not interested in getting support from others to do their work. However, the soloist resents others altogether. The Soloist is not willing to ask for help, regardless of the situation.
Asking for help can leave them vulnerable and expose what they don’t know or can’t do.
Example: An HR Director has to present new organizational changes and reports to her C-suite. As the deadline approaches, she abruptly orders her team to gather up information in a specific way the C-suite wanted it. This creates some chaos for the team. She kept the information to herself until the last minute rather than sharing the requirements with her team because she thought that she would handle everything herself. Then she realized time was running out.
Underlying emotion: shame in asking for help
5. The Expert
“I must have all the credentials before I can even think of applying to this job.” This type of imposter feels the compulsive need to have all the knowledge and experience before even attempting the job. They may be critical of others around them who “work to learn” or take aspirational roles, while also not recognizing that certainty and having all of the answers isn’t expected.
In a fast-changing environment, no one is an expert in what to do next.
Example: A scientist working on a new drug discovery feels compelled to fully understand the results before sharing them with the team. The experiment nears the end of its funding and timeline. The scientist has not yet shared the progress updates.
Then, team members are uncertain and become restless. Worse, two team members have relevant insights that could have built on the scientist’s results if they’d had a chance to work through them. With even more pressure is on the scientist now, because he is the expert in this process.
Underlying emotion: fear of inadequacy
There are two additional types of imposters that are equally important to consider.
Additional types of imposter syndrome
There are two additional types of imposters that are equally important to consider.
The Noticer
This type can’t be proud of their work or themselves because they immediately notice things that still aren’t perfect. Whether in a work product, a meeting or in the clothes they wear, the Noticer is forgiving of others but doesn’t extend the same grace to herself. When a tough project ends, the Noticer feels relief, more deflated than elated.
The Noticer is hyper-aware of the competition, real or imagined, and secretly believes that she will always miss the bar.
Example: An account manager works with her team to prepare a working session with the client. The team works hard on it for several days, and the manager spends every night making it better.
Despite changing direction more than once, they ultimately create a workshop that the client loves. The team celebrates but the manager can’t stop thinking about where her presentation was awkward and how much more charisma and comfort the other project lead had.
Underlying emotion: fear of not belonging
The Discounter
The Discounter automatically rationalizes away evidence of their own competence, achievement, or high regard. “People think well of me because they really don’t know what they’re talking about.” This type of imposter doesn’t value or trust their network of supporters very much.
They doubt the quality or level of competition in any effort that they succeed at and are ashamed to share something that “anyone could have done.”
Example: A newly-promoted Project Manager gives a well-received and engaging presentation on a planning process. Several peers congratulate him and thank him for making a formerly dreaded process more useful and relevant. Instead of feeling proud, he thinks about how no one values his group and how low their bar was — they were saying it was good, for their team.
Underlying emotion: not being enough
