This is about setting your standards so incredibly high, then writing it off as fluke, luck, timing or a team effort, if you actually achieve them.

There's a difference between what Clare Josa calls 'behavioural perfectionism' (52% of respondents) and 'personality perfectionism' (16%).

Some people naturally prefer things to be 'just so', like it's part of their personality and how they need the world to work. Their hair, nails, clothes, desk all look neat, tidy, and their version of 'perfect'.

With behavioural perfectionism, this is more nuanced, and it's context dependent. It can be driven by anxiety and genuine performance issues. But as an Imposter Syndrome coping strategy, someone's perfectionism has become maladaptive, and they're using it as a mechanism to feel safe.

This is no surprise when we consider Clare's definition of Imposter Syndrome:

Imposter Syndrome is the secret fear of being found out as not good enough or a fraud, despite outside-world evidence that you're doing well.

Then we have what Clare calls her 'lightbulb' definition, because when she shares this one in a keynote talk, she'll see most of the heads in the room nodding:

Imposter Syndrome is the secret fear of others judging us, the way we judge ourselves.

Given this, it's not a surprise that Clare's research studies show that 52% of respondents are showing clear signs of perfectionism, as a coping strategy to handle Imposter Syndrome.

By aiming incredibly high, even 'failure' to attain those impossible standards will keep us safe from the fear of being seen as not good enough, because failing on 'perfect' is better than succeeding on 'not good enough'.

What you're looking for as a manager, leader or coach, when it comes to perfectionism as an imposter Syndrome warning sign, is a sudden increase in standards, and putting themselves under pressure to achieve them.

You might notice a sudden increase in working hours. You might spot a 2-hour report taking 2 days. You might see someone experiencing stress-related illness, shortly before a big project deadline, especially if it's one that's highly visible.

The perfectionism from the 4 Ps of Imposter Syndrome maps over onto the 'fight' stress response.

"I'm going to slay that project!"

"I'm going to beat that goal!"

"I'm going to smash that target!"

The perfectionism coping strategy is also one of the reasons why a previous rising star can get promoted and become a micro-managing bully boss, turning their team toxic in just a few weeks. They're passing their own perfectionism-based fears onto others, because in order to feel safe, the manager needs their team members to be perfect, too.

But you can't force someone to lower their standards, if their perfectionism standards are what is keeping them safe.

Yes, there are things you can do with rational thinking, to help someone to regain their perspective. But with Imposter Syndrome, mindset and cognitive work is more about easing the symptoms. It doesn't actually cure or prevent Imposter Syndrome.

Instead, it's essential to support people with the right tools and strategies to clear the hidden root causes that were driving Imposter Syndrome, so they can become free from it, once and for all.

And, ironically, a now-toxic manager can trigger teammates' Imposter Syndrome. In fact, a former toxic boss, even as long as a decade ago, is a common predictor of Imposter Syndrome.

The experience gets stored in the body as a trauma response, making a person more vulnerable to the fear and anxiety that is connected with Imposter Syndrome.

Here's a podcast episode that explains how toxic teammates can reignite previously dormant Imposter syndrome for colleagues. It explores why dealing with and preventing Imposter Syndrome at a root cause level needs to be a priority for organisations, especially when we consider the UK's Psychological Safety At Work legislation.

Our research studies show that 28% of your team members are relying on procrastination as an Imposter Syndrome coping strategy at least daily, with half of those doing it multiple times a day. 70% are using it as a coping mechanism at least 'regularly'.

But procrastination isn't all about cute cat videos and viral memes.

It's about filling our time with 'busyness', to a point where we can become overwhelmed and stressed, but we're not making progress towards the goal that is triggering Imposter Syndrome. That procrastination is often related to the goal, but it's like we're running around it in a circle, busying ourselves with things that are less important, as an avoidance and coping strategy.

“Never confuse movement with action.”  - Ernest Hemingway

The 'procrastination' comes with a generous side-serving of guilt and shame, because we 'should' be doing the 'other thing' that is secretly scaring us.

This, combined with the exhaustion that comes from busyness, is a key factor in Imposter Syndrome burnout - something that is an imminent risk for 34% of your team members.

Procrastination fits with the 'flight' aspect of the fight-flight-freeze stress response. We're running - keeping moving - but it's not moving us towards our goal.

Here's a podcast episode that explores how the 'procrastination' element of the 4 Ps of Imposter Syndrome can lead to the coping strategy of over-thinking and second-guessing, which can make a 2-hour report take 2 days:

52% of respondents described using Project Paralysis at least 'regularly' as an Imposter Syndrome coping strategy.

Imagine the scenario:

A team member has been given a project that's perhaps outside of their comfort zone - a stretch objective. At team updates, they smile and say what people are expecting to hear, regarding the project's progress. And everyone gets that warm, glowy feeling of trusting that all is in hand.

Then, shortly before the deadline, your team member suddenly has a personality transplant. They get snappy, stressed, and they're clearly struggling.

They might even pull an all-nighter, as they use the stress and adrenaline of the deadline to push on through the Imposter Syndrome fear.

And when it's done, there's no sense of a achievement, just the fear that by having completed the project, they now might be 'found out' as a fraud or not good enough. And they'll be lying awake at night, fretting over possible mistakes they've made.

Project Paralysis is the classic 'rabbit in headlights'. And, unsurprisingly, it maps onto the 'freeze' response.

It's different to Procrastination, because instead of project-related, distracting, overwhelming 'busyness', there's nothing. Total avoidance.

And it causes immense stress and guilt. The person knows they're frozen. But they might get aggressive if you confront them about it.

Instead, you need to support them in ways that help them to thaw the freeze gently, with micro-steps. And the key is to help them to feel safe in taking action, otherwise their subconscious self-sabotage will kick in.

Clare Josa's research studies show that 78% of your team members feel some form of stress and anxiety, when given work that's outside of their comfort zone, without adequate training or support.

32% actively avoid stretching comfort zones, either by waiting too long, until the opportunity has passed, or for 8% by actively suggesting someone else, for a project they would secretly have loved.

The answer is not to get them pushing on through the fear. It's about helping them to clear the Imposter Syndrome-related drivers of this behaviour, so they no longer need to use the Project Paralysis coping strategy.

But I need Imposter Syndrome to perform!

People-Pleasing maps onto a relatively new category of the fight-flight-freeze response:

Fawning.

This is the equivalent of stroking the sabre-toothed tiger's nose and hoping that means it won't bite you.

"Being kind to people and doing things to please them keeps me safe."

People-Pleasing & Feedback

Another important aspect of People-Pleasing as a coping strategy is how it impacts feedback and performance reviews.

Someone running People-Pleasing is likely to struggle to give direct feedback to a colleague, for fear of upsetting them or being rejected.

And receiving negative feedback in ways that are not Imposter Syndrome-informed risks them feeling existentially rejected by their tribe, causing them harm and anxiety.

Getting stuck on the praise-criticism roller coaster is common for people who are experiencing Imposter Syndrome. And it's even more important to understand how this affects people who are People-Pleasing. This podcast episode explains more about this, and what you can do about it: