Why the Imposter Syndrome may explain your fear of public speaking- and what you can do about it

Research shows that 70% of people will experience the 'Imposter Syndrome' at some stage in their life. 
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​There are conflicting statistics about how many people fear public speaking. But we know that it is a common fear. And I am willing to bet that there is a significant overlap between people who experience the Imposter Syndrome and people who fear public speaking. 

One of my clients described  to us, her experience with the Imposter Syndrome. She didn’t feel that she deserved her promotion. Every time her manager asked to see her, she thought he was about to reveal that he had ‘found her out’. Instead he would tell her how happy he was with her performance! 

She found this both stressful and puzzling. She kept worrying about being found out and did not understand why here manager had such a high opinion of her. She had never heard of the Imposter Syndrome but when she found out about it, she recognized herself immediately!

Her experience perfectly illustrates the two main characteristics of the Imposter Syndrome. 1) Feeling that you are not worthy or your achievements are undeserved. Often people believe that there has been a mistake or they have had some luck that explains their success. 2) Worrying that you will be exposed as a fraud. 

This article, published in the International Journal of Behavioural Science, explains more about the syndrome. 

How the Imposter Syndrome shows up in public speaking
I am sure that the Imposter Syndrome underlies a lot of fear about public speaking. If any of these thoughts are familiar, you probably feel like an imposter. 

• “Why have I been asked to speak on this subject?”
• “There are others in the audience who are more knowledgeable or experienced.”
• “The audience is going to see that I am not an expert on this topic.”
• “What if they ask me questions I can’t answer?”

Doubting your expertise or qualifications to talk on a topic will make you nervous. And your nervousness could undermine your credibility as a speaker. This situation is a nightmare for someone who believes they are an imposter and works hard to ensure that no one else discovers it!

What you can do about it
There is a TED  talk by Valerie Young about the Imposter Syndrome. This funny and insightful talk has some great tips for handling the Imposter Syndrome. Her tips are equally applicable to managing a fear of public speaking.

​Valerie says that talking about the Imposter Syndrome can help, but it is not enough. You have to reframe your thinking. 

Let’s apply this to public speaking. You could tell yourself that you have been asked to speak on the subject because you have a unique story or perspective, even if there are others with more experience. Instead of worrying about difficult questions, you could take the time to anticipate likely questions and then remind yourself that you are well prepared.

She says that when people realise they have the Imposter Syndrome, they often want a quick fix, but it doesn’t work like this. You have to work hard at it. 
It is the same with public speaking. It takes a long time to become a great public speaker. And if you are plagued by self-doubt, it will take longer. But with practice and persistence, anyone can improve. 

Finally, she says that our feelings are the last thing to change. To get over the Imposter Syndrome, we need to learn to act more confidently first. Eventually, this will make us feel more confident. But this process will take some time. 

I coach people to ‘fake it until you feel it’. A confident speaker has natural and expressive gestures, uses pause and eye contact effectively, talks in a conversational but energetic style, and moves around the stage with ease. All of this is learnable. You can learn to present as a confident speaker even if you don’t yet feel it. Eventually, your confidence will catch up to your competence.

My own experience as an imposter 
I was promoted to a management position in my twenties before I felt ready. I recognise now that it was my work ethic and attitude that got me promoted rather than my skill level or experience. I had the potential to be a good manager, and my organisation was backing me to deliver. I wish I could have reframed my thinking along those lines at the time!

Even now, I can fall into the ‘I am not an expert on this’ trap. I coach people with a fear of public speaking, and I have moments of self-doubt. I am a good public speaker, but I know others who are much better than me. Then I remind myself that doesn’t make them better coaches. And, my strength is I am someone who used to be very fearful of public speaking. This has helped me empathise with my clients and design the course they need.

Finally, this Toastmasters article on the Imposter Syndrome points out the flaw in our thinking that we are not qualified to speak on something we are knowledgeable about simply because someone else knows more than us.

“Don’t confuse being the expert with being an expert. There is plenty of room for many experts on the same topic.”
An obvious but excellent point! 

Article by Catherine Syme 

Can't attend a course? I specialize in helping people with extreme public speaking anxiety. Find out how private one-on-one coaching could help you. 

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