Imposter Syndrome at Work: Why High Achievers Go Quiet in Rooms They Should Own

In 1978, psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes described a phenomenon they were observing in high-achieving women: a persistent belief that their success was undeserved, and that they were at risk of being exposed as frauds. They called it the imposter phenomenon. Four decades later, research suggests it affects as many as 70% of professionals at some point in their career — regardless of gender, seniority, or field.

What's less often discussed is where it shows up most visibly: in your behaviour, specifically in rooms where you should be speaking.

The Silence Pattern

Imposter syndrome doesn't typically manifest as paralysis. Most high-achieving people with it still do good work. What it does, reliably, is suppress verbal output in high-stakes settings. You hold back an opinion because someone smarter might disagree. You don't ask the question because asking it might reveal you don't know the answer. You agree with the room rather than challenge it, even when you have strong grounds to.