3 Ways to Address Imposter Syndrome in the Sports Business

Team USA gymnast Suni Lee poses with her bronze medal from the Women’s Uneven Bars Final during the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan (Credit: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images).

From business leaders to top celebrities, the confusing self-doubt of impostor syndrome is often present, even for those who seem to handle the pressure the best.

But why is that? What could cause high-level achievers to believe that their successes are not based on true achievement? Why do talented individuals worry that they will eventually be exposed as phonies?

In the sport industry, and in general, women are disproportionately hit with Imposter Syndrome. Even with the progression and advancements women have made in sports and entertainment in recent years, women are still considered minorities in the industry.

Women executives in sports are a microcosm of who women executives are overall across the United States.

As recently as last fall, a KPMG study found troubling stats on how 750 executive women felt about their status at the top of organizations:

• 85% believed that Imposter Syndrome is a common phenomenon for women working in the corporate world
• 81% shared that they feel they put more pressure on themselves not to fail than their male counterparts
• 75% stated that they have suffered from Imposter Syndrome throughout their career
• 74% felt that executive males do not experience the same levels of self-doubt as themselves

Imposter Syndrome truly came to light on an international sports stage when Team USA gymnast Suni Lee took home three medals during the shifted 2021 Tokyo Olympics. She may not be at the corporate level, but she shared a sentiment that many women in sports and sports business can relate to:

I feel like after the Olympics, there’s just been so much doubt in like, ‘Oh, she shouldn’t have won [in the] Olympics, blah, blah, blah,’ and it really hits my soul. [It’s] like Imposter Syndrome. That’s exactly what I have. And it’s very hard. It was very hard for me to motivate myself the first couple of weeks here because it was like I didn’t want to do gymnastics. I hated it,”

So as a hiring manager or executive, what environment are you fostering with your workplace culture? Do people feel that their surroundings make it harder to maintain self-confidence — in particular the women in the office? Is it one of your business leaders who is beating them down mentally?

As a hiring manager and leader, here are 3 ways to address the perils of Imposter Syndrome within your organization:

1/ Identify the issue

A big thing with imposter syndrome is being aware of the signs that your employees may be showing. There are several forms of Imposter Syndrome and some include:

• Those who overwork themselves to overcompensate for feeling like they fall short.
• Constantly pushing themselves to learn more, but to overcome the fact that they don’t feel like they understand things adequately.
• The one seeking constant perfection. Even after a project is satisfactory and complete, these executives continue to poke and prod their work.
• The solo-act workers. Rather than coming together with their team to complete tasks, those in this category work alone to avoid failing in front of others.
• The super-high achievers. These are execs who may be setting astronomically high goals but are also highly disappointed if those goals are not achieved.

One of the biggest issues with Imposter Syndrome is it’s directly connected with high-achieving people. So it can be hard to identify the internal battles one may be facing when they continue to produce at a high level. But what can you do to combat that?

2/ Talk it out

As the old saying goes, communication is key. One of the most under- appreciated pieces of health is the mental side. Even for organizations in the sports business, prioritizing mental health is an aspect that can not only keep your organization clicking on all cylinders but also ensures that your staff is getting the help it may need.

• Provide in-house resources. Mental health check-in meetings, weekly video chats, or an anonymous comment box can help you read the temperature of what your staff may be dealing with in their heads.
• Lend a listening ear. More times than not, discussing these issues about self-doubt can help bring a solution closer. You may not have all the answers, but hearing what they have to say may allow you to point them in the right direction.
• Seek professionals. Whether it’s local mental health services or reaching out to therapists and consultants, you can have professionals who work in that field be the ones to evaluate how to address Imposter Syndrome.
• Take these issues seriously. Maybe someone said a comment that alludes to the fight they may be going through on the inside. If it is concerning enough, do not hesitate to share it with your Human Resources staff so that the individual can seek help.
• Build your staff up. A part of why Imposter Syndrome is an issue is because individuals do not believe their skills or achievements are legitimate. Remind them how valuable they are and that you brought them on for a reason!

Unfortunately, it’s taken so long for mental health to get the respect it has in recent years. But better late than never! The next question you must ask is whether your organization is helping or hurting your staff’s mental health and self-belief?

3/ Evaluate your culture

You must take note of the environment your staff steps into every day. Do they feel like “I get to go to work today,” or is it “I have to go to work today?” That’s a big difference. As much as Imposter Syndrome has to deal with internal struggles, giving your staff the right workplace culture can be important in combatting that.

• Start with an external company review. That way you are receiving feedback on your workplace culture, but it is coming from an unbiased, outside source.
• Like our last section, talking to your staff is key. Have them share their thoughts on how you can improve your culture and what they think you can do to adjust it for them.
• Also with talking to staff, have monthly check-ins to discuss their thoughts as well. That will allow you to have time in between to make changes and evaluate the results thereafter.
• Address the office “bullies.” Every organization has them, some with more than others. But letting your demeaning staff members know how negatively they are impacting others can help nix this type of behavior—as long as it is addressed professionally and not done to embarrass the alleged bullies.

Even taking a more concerted effort as to how your culture is constructed can go a long way in improving your staff’s mental health. But just who exactly are the people suffering from Imposter Syndrome?

In Conclusion, Recognize Struggles For All

Although women have taken center stage as those struggling with Imposter Syndrome, others can be hit just as hard. Take these findings into consideration:

• Ethnic minority groups tend to have higher cases of imposter syndrome. That is a point of note, especially considering the disparity that’s still in place between White executives and administrators vs. ones of color in the sports business.
• Men suffer from Imposter Syndrome too. Not only have studies shown that men deal with the syndrome at a similar frequency, the anxiety/depression they may face because of it tends to be more severe than for women.
• In a study of 1,000 business professionals conducted by InnovateMR in 2021, 65% of the participants did not know what the term Imposter Syndrome meant, but they shared they struggled with symptoms that are most prevalent with it.
• But one stat to follow that up was less than 5% of employers address Imposter Syndrome with their staff.

Don’t be like those organizations in the less than 5%. Imposter Syndrome is real and can attack some of the most capable people we know. Have you had your battles with it?

Making sure to highlight your staff for their accomplishments is a big deal. Everyone in your organization brings an asset to the table; that’s why they were hired in the first place!

But even more importantly, you never know what a person is going through mentally unless you can make them comfortable enough to share that with you. That is sacred information they are leaving you with, but it will also help develop a trust between your organization and those within it who may be struggling.

This is our first mental health blog, but there will be more to come soon. In the meantime, check out more from The Breakdown blog and the many roles in sports and entertainment on TeamWork Online today.