Imposter syndrome: Why it afflicts women and what we need to do about it

Marcia Doheny

Director, Legal and Governance

City of Sydney

October 2014

What is the imposter syndrome?

A psychological phenomenon in which people are unable to internalize

their accomplishments. Despite external evidence of their competence,

those with the syndrome remain convinced that they are frauds and do

not deserve the success they have achieved.

Proof of success is dismissed as luck, timing, or as a result of

deceiving others into thinking they are more intelligent and competent

than they believe themselves to be.

/ Imposter Syndrome: Why it afflicts women and what we need to do about it – October 2014 2

Cheryl Sandberg – CEO of Facebook

/ Imposter Syndrome: Why it afflicts women and what we need to do about it – October 2014 3

“Every time I was called on in class, I was sure I was about

to embarrass myself. Every time I took a test, I was sure

that it had gone badly. And every time I didn’t embarrass

myself – or even excelled - I believed I had fooled everyone

yet again. One day the jig would be up”.

Gail Kelly – CEO of Westpac

/ Imposter Syndrome: Why it afflicts women and what we need to do about it – October 2014 4

“It’s been trouble for me all my life, the sense of gosh, I’m

not good enough, I’m not adequate. I’m not going to do this

well. I might fail, what happens if I fail?”

Nova Maree Peris

/ Imposter Syndrome: Why it afflicts women and what we need to do about it – October 2014 5

"In order to play 100 games, you've first

got to play one game. You've got to take

the small steps to climb the mountain. I

climbed mountains in two different

sports. I find in politics, you have to

move the mountains that are put in front

of you - and that is possible. Stone by

stone, you can move a mountain."

“…at the end of the day, I have the

ability to pick myself up, dust the dirt

off and keep going.”

Women in Law

/ Imposter Syndrome: Why it afflicts women and what we need to do about it – October 2014 6

Percentage of women in Australia practising Law:

• 1986 - 17 per cent

Australian Institute of Criminology (May 2009)

http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/proceedings/16/anleu.pdf

• 2014 - 46 per cent

The College of Law (March 2014)

http://www.collaw.edu.au/insights/encouraging-gender-diversity-legal-profession/

Mount York, Blue Mountains NSW History of men’s achievements

/ Imposter Syndrome: Why it afflicts women and what we need to do about it – October 2014 7

What about women’s achievement?

/ Imposter Syndrome: Why it afflicts women and what we need to do about it – October 2014 8

Starting out

/ Imposter Syndrome: Why it afflicts women and what we need to do about it – October 2014 9

/ Imposter Syndrome: Why it afflicts women and what we need to do about it – October 2014 10

Women in law

/ Imposter Syndrome: Why it afflicts women and what we need to do about it – October 2014 11

Fitting in to the culture

/ Imposter Syndrome: Why it afflicts women and what we need to do about it – October 2014 12

Women in law

/ Imposter Syndrome: Why it afflicts women and what we need to do about it – October 2014 13

City of Sydney - Legal Services Team

Women in law

/ Imposter Syndrome: Why it afflicts women and what we need to do about it – October 2014 14

City of Sydney

/ Imposter Syndrome: Why it afflicts women and what we need to do about it – October 2014 15

Monica Barone - CEO City of Sydney

Clover Moore - The Lord Mayor of Sydney

Women in local government

/ Imposter Syndrome: Why it afflicts women and what we need to do about it – October 2014 16

• Approximately 200,000 elected members and employees in local

government. Around half of all employees are women and yet:

- Women represent less than 30 per cent of councillors and

elected members;

- Only 20 per cent of women are employed as senior executives;

and

- Only seven per cent of CEOs are women.

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (2014)

http://www.dpmc.gov.au/women/priorities/womens_leadership/increasing-leadership.cfm

Women in ASX companies

/ Imposter Syndrome: Why it afflicts women and what we need to do about it – October 2014 17

Workplace Gender Equality Agency (2012)

https://www.wgea.gov.au/lead/2012-australian-census-women-leadership

The 2012 Australian Census of Women in Leadership

• The 2012 Census found that despite an acceleration in the progress

for women on the boards of ASX 200 companies, there had been

negligible progress for females in executive ranks over the past

decade.

• Less than one in 10 executives of ASX 200 (9.7%) and ASX 500

(9.2%) companies are women.

• Only 12 ASX 500 companies had a female CEO.

/ Imposter Syndrome: Why it afflicts women and what we need to do about it – October 2014 18

Get on with it and don’t

underestimate yourselves!

/ Imposter Syndrome: Why it afflicts women and what we need to do about it – October 2014 19

Take the lead to make our

workplaces flexible and

supportive!

Tips

•How you show up matters

•Work hard

•At least act as though you believe in yourself and

never put yourself down

• It’s not your life, it’s just your job – manage your

emotions and lighten up!

•Don’t try to reach perfection – it’s not going to

happen!

•Smile – be happy!

/ Imposter Syndrome: Why it afflicts women and what we need to do about it – October 2014 20

Mount York, Blue Mountains NSW

/ Imposter Syndrome: Why it afflicts women and what we need to do about it – October 2014 21

Questions

/ Imposter Syndrome: Why it afflicts women and what we need to do about it – October 2014 22