Imposter Phenomenon Overview - Imposter phenomenon, also known as impostor syndrome, affects up to 70% of individuals across various professions, leading to feelings of fraudulence and unearned credit [4][5] - This phenomenon involves distorted thoughts and behavior habits, such as attributing success to luck and overemphasizing failures [6][7] Impact on Individuals - Imposter phenomenon limits career growth and job satisfaction by discouraging risk-taking and new challenges [9] - It promotes overwork and avoidance behaviors, leading to burnout, mistakes, and emotional exhaustion [10][11] - It is linked to mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and lower achievement, productivity, and evaluations [12] Organizational Implications - The World Health Organization estimates that depression and anxiety result in 12 billion working days lost annually, costing $1 trillion in lost productivity [14] - A specific university faces over $3.5 million annually in lost time, job turnover, retraining, and healthcare costs due to mental health issues [15] - A regional health system faces over $20 million annually for the same outcomes [15] - Imposter phenomenon correlates with lower job satisfaction, leading to employee turnover, quiet quitting, and stifled innovation and leadership [16][17] Mitigation Strategies for Organizations - Organizations should create psychological safety by fostering environments where risk-taking, sharing concerns, and discussing impostor feelings are encouraged [19][20] - Organizations need to proactively address burnout by modeling work-life balance and avoiding performance punishments [21][22] - Organizations should clearly articulate success and excellence criteria and provide specific, ongoing feedback while avoiding micromanaging [22][23]