Now You See Me, Now You Don't: A Conceptual Model of the Antecedents and Consequences of Leader Impostorism

Impostorism, a phenomenon whereby a person perceives that the role they occupy is beyond their capabilities and puts them at risk of exposure as a fake, has attracted plentiful attention in the empirical literature and popular media. However, despite evidence that impostorism is frequently experienced by people in leadership positions, there has been little consideration of why this happens. In this theoretical article, we explain why formal leadership roles-roles that are characterized by elevated expectations, high visibility, and high levels of responsibility-are fertile ground for impostorism experiences. We also discuss how the associated self-conscious emotions of shame and fear, can increase leaders' risk-aversion and enhance leader role performance, yet at the same time drive emotional exhaustion, and reduce their motivation to lead. This can ultimately inhibit leaders from seeking, claiming, and thriving in leadership roles. We offer individual-, dyadic-, and organization-level contextual characteristics that can either enhance or reduce this phenomenon. We also discuss how supportive organizations can mitigate leadership impostorism. Furthermore, we highlight how women and minority-status leaders may be more vulnerable to this experience and conclude by suggesting the practical implications of the leader impostorism phenomenon for individuals and organizations.

Automated summary

Impostorism is a phenomenon where individuals feel that the roles they hold exceed their capabilities, putting them at risk of exposure as frauds. This is often experienced by leaders in formal leadership roles, impacting their risk aversion, performance, emotional exhaustion, and motivation. Contextual characteristics at individual, dyadic, and organizational levels can play a role in either exacerbating or reducing this phenomenon, with support from organizations being able to mitigate leadership impostorism. Women and minority-status leaders may be more susceptible to impostorism, and practical implications for individuals and organizations are suggested.