Turning Imposter Syndrome Into Your Secret Product Superpower

We feel like imposters! Or at least that is what 57% of product managers told us in our recent Leading the Product survey, where they often or always expressed experiencing feelings of self-doubt and not measuring up despite their professional accomplishments.

These are the same feelings expressed by those with imposter syndrome which is characterised as the persistent feeling that your current achievements and success are undeserved or do not qualify you for your current work. Some people describe a feeling that they will be ‘found out’ or are somehow a ‘fraud’. Critically, this feeling persists even in the face of evidence to the contrary e.g., promotions, good feedback etc.

At a high level, this makes total sense. As product managers, we usually sit at the intersection of many disciplines – engineering, design, business, operations – and frequently deal with stakeholders that are experts in their discipline. Sometimes this may lead us to feel like a ‘jack of all trades, and master of none’.

Where this gets problematic is where imposter syndrome prevents us from voicing up or from taking opportunities to advance because of a feeling of ‘not measuring up’. In severe cases it may also lead to low motivation, low performance and even depression and anxiety.

But like almost all feelings, imposter syndrome exists for a reason, and by understanding why it may be happening and what we can do to harness what is good about it, we can turn it into our superpower instead of letting it impede us. Firstly, if you are experiencing imposter syndrome, it is important to ask yourself why?

Why Do We Feel Like Imposters?

There are broadly three reasons why we may experience imposter syndrome at any time, these are reasons that are primarily:

• Internal – personality, history and thought patterns
• External – workplace culture, bullying or low psychological safety
• Situational – temporary, reflecting a recent change e.g., change or role or industry

Before jumping to the conclusion that imposter syndrome is an enduring aspect of your current internal or external situation, ask yourself is it something you have experienced often and when have you experienced it before? Imposter syndrome is frequently a situational response to change, lasting up to 5-6 months after a major change. This change may be a change in industry or employer, a promotion, a return to employment after a stint away (a sabbatical or maternity leave) or even other life changes external to work.

In the case of situational imposter syndrome it is usually a case of waiting it out. Imposter syndrome is a reaction to feeling like you may not have the resources you need to succeed, so talking about it and asking for help from those you trust in the workplace can help ease its impacts in the meantime. Give yourself compassion and time to get comfortable and know it is normal to experience some anxiety in the face of big changes.

However, if the feeling is lasting beyond a few months after a change, internal or external factors may explain your feelings better. People who frequently or constantly experience imposter syndrome even in the course of everyday life without large changes may be particularly ‘internally’ prone to these feelings. This may reflect personality factors – particularly perfectionism and high achievement motivation – history – for instance having experienced highly critical environments in the past – or unhelpful thought patterns – like critical self-talk.

If this sounds like something you may be experiencing, it is more important than ever to be compassionate to yourself. It is not a ‘failing’ of your character that you are prone to feeling imposter syndrome and in fact these feelings are common. By understanding yourself more and when these feelings are likely to arise you can develop effective coping strategies and work to change the narrative on what these feelings mean to you. See below for some tips and as always if these feelings start to impact your ability to function at work or in everyday life you may want to seek professional support.

Finally, if you are experiencing a prolonged bout of these feelings and it is something you have not regularly experienced before, it may be due to external factors. These may include a high-pressure workplace culture, highly critical or even bullying management / colleges or a ‘toxic’ environment (one with low psychological safety).

If external reasons are primarily the cause of your feelings of imposter syndrome, there will often be clear signs. Others will be feeling the same things – you won’t be the only one – and may even be leaving the organisation. You can seek to manage the environment and your feelings towards it if you choose not to leave, but it is also important to protect yourself from the ongoing impacts of a negative workplace environment. Some of the tips below may help you to manage your own feelings, but you may also need to seek support within your organisation from Human Resources or other teams depending on the nature of the issue.

Once you understand why you may be feeling imposter syndrome, whether it is situational or a more prolonged internal/external reason, you can start to change how you view these feelings and harness them for good. I call this turning it into your ‘superpower’.

Turning Imposter Syndrome Into Your Superpower

It is important to note that while feelings of imposter syndrome may be uncomfortable, they usually exist for a reason. According to Broaden and Build Theory, negative emotions, like those experienced during imposter syndrome, are there to prompt us to specific actions in order to improve our chance to thrive. For instance these may be reaching out for help or backing away from a venomous snake! Positive emotions, which will often replace negative emotions after these actions are taken, are then there to broaden our mindset and resources.

Key to harnessing imposter syndrome therefore is taking action in a positive way to turn these negative feelings into positive experiences. This may look like:

1. Reaching out for help and sharing your experience: It can be uncomfortable to be vulnerable and ask for help or share your feelings with others, but it can be a powerful way to harness your feelings for good. Connecting at a human level within your colleagues helps to build your support network and keep it healthy.
2. Building relationships based on curiosity: Turn fear into curiosity and instead of focusing internally, look externally to connect with others. Reaching out broadly to cross-disciplinary teams across the organisation can help not only make you feel connected, but also broaden your knowledge of how the organisation operates (essential for good product management). Try to connect in personal settings by asking people for a coffee or lunch and vary who you meet with.
3. Learning from others: Linked to curiosity is learning from others. This helps to not only build your social/relationship resources but also your knowledge. If you find yourself feeling imposter syndrome when ‘out of your depth’ in technical areas, why not invite the engineers to give you a rundown of their thinking? Asking questions and repeating back your understanding can help you learn more effectively from others and also demonstrates you are listening.
4. Compassionately reflecting on your feelings: Experiencing imposter syndrome is also a chance to build your internal resources and know yourself better. Understanding more about your feelings, personality, values and the impacts of your history can help you navigate your feelings better. However, it is important to be compassionate towards yourself and not to judge. Mindfulness practice and loving kindness meditation can be particularly helpful as you explore your feelings.

It is important to reflect on the fact that imposter syndrome, like any negative feelings we may have at work, is not entirely bad. It is our mind and body calling out for us to build our resources for success and if we can get good at building these, it truly does become our superpower!

Click here if you would like to know more about our State of Product Research – State of Product in ANZ 2025 Research Summary