In an attempt to correct for their perceived lack of ability, a person with imposter syndrome often works harder and harder out of a fear that they will be exposed for being a fraud.

Although the solutions for overcoming imposter syndrome often focus on the individual experiencing it, the workplace environment also plays a critical role—especially given that it is most often seen in women and people of color, many of who may not have supportive mentors or colleagues who look like them!

Imposter syndrome as a concept fails to capture this dynamic and puts the onus on women to deal with the effects.”.

As Tulshyan and Burey noted in their article, when the concept of imposter syndrome was first developed, it didn’t take into account the impact that a biased workplace can have on a person.

Lacking this context, as well as the inclusion of a diverse set of participants in the original studies, the focus has been on fixing the individual experiencing imposter syndrome, rather than the environment that might be causing it.

As Wilding points out, some work environments are more likely to cause imposter syndrome than others.