“Where do I fit in?” Researching experiences of ‘Imposter Syndrome’ by early years leaders from ethnic minority backgrounds.
In the simplest of definitions, ‘Imposter Syndrome’ (Clance and Imes, 1978) is an internal experience where individuals struggle to cope with how they are in positions of leadership. This links directly to lack of self-belief and confidence which in turn leads to a cycle of self-doubt (Gadsby, 2022; Pedler, 2011; Wilkinson, 2020).
Everyone experiences leadership at some point in their life, but we all have our own stories to tell which are unique to us and our own individual experiences. We meet so many different people who have a profound impact on us both positively and negatively, and this affects how we see ourselves.
I first became interested in exploring ‘Imposter Syndrome’ because I wanted to unpick my own leadership journey. I was relatively young when I became a deputy manager, at only 23, and I felt that there was so much I had experienced within a short period of time.
Looking at the scholarly material published, I found that majority of the literature focused on gender but few resources focused on research relating to ethnic minorities. Growing up, I was always told I would have to work twice as hard in order to be recognised and heard. I knew then that I wanted to give others a voice by sharing their stories and address the existing gaps in research.
My BECERA presentation is centred around my MA dissertation, which focused on researching ‘Imposter Syndrome’ within early years professional communities. In this ethnographic account of senior leaders’ experiences of their ‘Imposter Syndrome’, participatory action research approach was used to facilitate collaboration and open endedness (Cornish et al, 2023). Having completed my project, it strikes me that there are so many similarities in how ‘Imposter Syndrome’ is so established within early years professional communities.
My research found that despite different backgrounds and different types of early years provisions participants worked across, common themes could be identified. For example, all three participants had apprehensions about taking part but were pleasantly surprised with how useful the process had been. They all felt it was cathartic to unpick and reflect on some of their experiences.
It is important to note that racism was mentioned frequently by the three participants who spoke of how their experiences had a significant impact on their confidence and caused them to retreat within themselves allowing ‘Imposter Syndrome’ to take root. Nonetheless, we are starting to see a positive change around inclusivity and diversity in the workplace. These small steps are positive beacons of light demonstrating that change can occur when we use our voices and make ourselves heard. I hope that this continues as the more we invest in the workforce and celebrating diversity, the better the outcomes will be for the children we work with.
Hafsah Zakariyya is currently an Assistant Manager working for Early Years Alliance. She has seven years of professional experience across the sector with the last five being in senior leadership. Her experiences became the driving force behind her current research interests and her study into the Imposter Syndrome within early years leadership over the last couple of years.
References
Clance, P.R. and Imes, S.A. (1978) The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic interventions. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice. 15(1), pp. 241 – 247.
Cornish, F., Breton, N., Moreno – Tabare, U., Delgado, J., Rua, M., Aikins, A., Hodgetts, D. (2023) Participatory Action Research, Nature Reviewers Methods Primers, 34(3), pp. 1 – 14.
Gadsby, S. (2022) Imposter Syndrome and Self Deception. Australasian Journal of Philosophy, 100(2), pp. 247 – 261.
Pascal, C. and Bertram, T. (2012) Praxis, ethics and power: developing praxeology as a participatory paradigm for early childhood research. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 20(4), pp. 477 – 492.
Pedler, M. (2011) Leadership, risk, and the imposter syndrome. Action Learning: Research and Practice, 8(2), pp. 89 -91.
Wilkinson, C. (2020) Imposter syndrome and the accidental academic: an auto ethnographic account. Journal for Academic Development, 25(4), pp. 363 – 374.
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Heilala, C. et al. (2023) ‘Work demands and work resources in ECEC – turnover intentions explored’, European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 32(3), pp. 481–494. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2023.2265597
Su, Y. (2024) ‘Positive emotional experiences and professional identity formation in novice preschool teachers in Taiwan’, European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, pp. 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2024.2418019