Qu'est-ce que le syndrome de l'imposteur, concrètement ?

Décrit par Clance et Imes en 1978, il désigne l'incapacité à s'attribuer ses réussites : on les explique par la chance ou par un effort excessif, et l'on craint d'être démasqué. L'Impostor-Profile en distingue six facettes : le doute sur ses compétences, un rapport au travail oscillant entre surpréparation et procrastination, un sentiment d'inauthenticité, l'impression d'être surestimé par les autres, la réticence à prendre des responsabilités et le besoin d'être apprécié.

Peut-on vraiment le dépasser ?

Ce n'est pas un trait figé. Son intensité varie selon les contextes, par exemple lors d'une prise de poste, et elle tend à diminuer avec l'âge. Il repose sur des manières d'interpréter ses réussites et sur des comportements, comme la surpréparation ou le refus des compliments, que l'on peut travailler. Mesurer ses facettes permet de cibler l'accompagnement au lieu de traiter le phénomène en bloc.

En quoi votre approche diffère-t-elle d'une formation ?

Une formation sur la confiance en soi agit surtout sur les connaissances. Nous agissons sur les trois conditions d'un comportement, selon le modèle COM-B : la capacité (savoir le faire), l'opportunité (un environnement qui le permet) et la motivation (y trouver un intérêt). Nous entraînons donc les personnes en situation réelle, et nous ajustons ce qui entretient le phénomène dans leur environnement : feedback, reconnaissance, accompagnement des prises de poste.

Comment mesurez-vous la progression ?

Nous utilisons l'Impostor-Profile (IPP31, Ibrahim et al., 2022), un questionnaire de 31 items validé auprès de 771 personnes. Il mesure six facettes, dont la fiabilité est satisfaisante (alpha de 0,69 à 0,92). La mesure en début et en fin de programme établit ce qui a progressé, facette par facette.

Quel lien avec nos projets de transformation ?

Une transformation crée de nouveaux rôles, de nouvelles responsabilités et de nouvelles attentes. C'est précisément dans ces situations que le sentiment d'imposture s'intensifie. Les personnes concernées évitent alors la visibilité, repoussent les décisions ou refusent des responsabilités, au moment où l'organisation a besoin qu'elles s'engagent.

N'est-ce pas un sujet qui relève d'un thérapeute ?

Non. Malgré le mot « syndrome », les chercheurs le décrivent comme une caractéristique de personnalité sans portée clinique. Nous intervenons sur sa dimension professionnelle : comportements, attributions et environnement de travail. Si l'accompagnement révèle une souffrance psychologique importante, nous orientons vers un professionnel de santé.

Le syndrome de l'imposteur touche-t-il surtout les femmes ?

Les premières observations portaient sur des femmes, mais les études ultérieures ne montrent pas de différence marquée entre les sexes. Le phénomène concerne aussi bien les hommes que les femmes, à tous les niveaux de responsabilité.

IMPOSTOR SYNDROME
‍PROGRAM

Taking credit for successes, accepting recognition, assuming responsibilities, and acting without over-preparing. We develop these behaviors in the people your transformations put in the spotlight, and we measure their progress.

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SCIENTIFIC GROUNDING

Impostor syndrome hinders job satisfaction, workplace health, and the ability to take on responsibilities.

Described since 1978, this phenomenon affects far more than just junior profiles. It can now be measured facet by facet, allowing for targeted action.

job satisfaction

People affected by impostor syndrome report lower job satisfaction and are less likely to go above and beyond their prescribed roles (Vergauwe et al., 2015).

psychological health

The phenomenon is associated with higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms (Sakulku and Alexander, 2011). Doubting one's competence is strongly correlated with neuroticism (Ibrahim et al., 2022).

leadership

More than half of the managers surveyed in one study showed signs of impostor syndrome (Rohrmann et al., 2016). One of the six measured facets describes a reluctance to lead, which hinders career progression (Ibrahim et al., 2022).

confidence in taking on a new role

Impostor syndrome is more common when a person takes on a new role (Sanford et al., 2015; Parkman, 2016). Yet every transformation multiplies new roles and new expectations.

Format

A Scientific, Structured and Measurable Journey.

The program

Owning your legitimacy is a skill you can train.

Impostor syndrome is more than just a lack of confidence: it combines six facets, ranging from doubting one's competence to avoiding responsibility. We measure these using the Impostor-Profile (Ibrahim et al., 2022) and then train targeted behaviors: taking credit for successes, accepting recognition, and acting without over-preparing. Finally, we address the daily factors that sustain it: feedback, taking on new roles, and how one relates to failure. This is based on the COM-B model: capability, opportunity, and motivation.

Prevention or Remediation

Depending on your organizational context, activate this program in a proactive or curative mode.

Pragmatic

We develop this behavioral and relational competence at the heart of the action, for an immediate and lasting impact.

Measurable

We model this skill at the beginning and at the end of the program to measure its real impact.

Individual or Collective

This development program can be deployed at the level of an individual, a team and an organization.

Tailor-made

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Scientific foundations

For whom?

A different challenge for every stakeholder in your transformation.

Embodying transformation without doubting your place

Transformation puts those leading it in the spotlight, and doubts about their legitimacy can lead to over-protection: micromanagement, avoiding visibility, and stalling on decisions. We help leaders identify these reactions and expand their repertoire when under pressure.

Team performance and authentic leadership

At the level of middle management, your success depends less on your business skills than on your ability to inspire confidence in your teams, arbitrate confidently and make strategic decisions in a context where you are constantly evaluated from above and below. The Impostor-Profile (IPP31) — a scientifically validated tool (α = .69 to .92) — is designed to transform the 6 dimensions of impostor syndrome that hinder your managerial impact and your authenticity as a leader.At the operational management level, your performance depends less on your business expertise than on your ability to mobilize without formal authority, navigate matrix organizations and obtain trade-offs in systems of interest often competitors. The Political Skill Inventory (PSI) — a scientifically validated tool (α = 0.89) — is designed to develop the 4 levers of influence that make it possible to align stakeholders, secure key resources and advance your projects in complex environments.

Psychological health and sustainable performance

In terms of the quality of life at work, your impact depends less on the devices you deploy than on your ability to identify and prevent invisible psychological distress factors, in particular impostor syndrome, which affects 70% of successful professionals and correlates strongly with anxiety, depression and exhaustion. The Impostor-Profile (IPP31) — a scientifically validated tool (α = .69 to .92) — is designed to diagnose the 6 dimensions of the syndrome that directly impact mental health (r = .65 with anxiety, r = .58 with anxiety, r = .58 with depression) and organizational resilience.

Talent development and potential optimization

In terms of talent development, your success depends less on the training programs you deploy than on your ability to remove the invisible psychological barriers that limit the expression of potential, reduce internal mobility and weaken the retention of high potentials. The Impostor-Profile (IPP31) — a scientifically validated tool (α = .69 to .92) — is designed to map the 6 dimensions of impostor syndrome that hinder career advancement, limit leadership behaviors, and reduce the organizational contribution of your best people.

Organizational agility and change adoption

In terms of organizational transformation, your success depends less on the quality of your change plan than on your ability to mobilize key leaders, reduce psychological resistance, and maintain engagement in a context of uncertainty, repositioning and risk taking. The Impostor-Profile (IPP31) — a scientifically validated tool (α = .69 to .92) — is designed to identify the 6 dimensions of impostor syndrome that amplify anxiety about change, inhibit the risk-taking necessary for innovation, and limit the adoption of new roles or expanded responsibilities.

FAQ

UNREST at a Glance

OUR JOB

Setting the stage for your next transformation to succeed.

Because transformation shouldn't be driven in the dark, we model and build your teams' capacity to navigate upcoming changes. Our goal: maximize the success rate of your transformation initiatives while safeguarding your human capital.

Driving AI Adoption

AI adoption is less a technological hurdle than a human and behavioral challenge. Using the COM-B framework (Michie et al., 2011), we dissect what comes down to capability, opportunity, and motivation, role by role. We then adapt workplace conditions and practices, tracking usage nature and frequency before and after the intervention. The result: real, daily, and measurable adoption.

Delivering Strategic Project Success

A strategic initiative rarely lands on a blank slate; it usually layer onto ongoing reorganizations, tech rollouts, and shifting priorities. The pressure to move fast can mask underlying change fatigue and hidden execution risks. Before launch, we assess team readiness and conduct a pre-mortem to uncover unspoken friction. These insights enable clear trade-offs on pace, scope, and resource allocation.

Successfully managing a reorganization

Changing an organizational chart means changing managers, teams, and sometimes even roles for hundreds of people. We measure team readiness before the announcement, prepare managers to lead the transition, and then monitor the implementation of new ways of working. The goal: a living structure, not just a diagram.

Transforming your corporate culture

Transformations rarely start on a blank slate: teams are often already navigating other changes, sometimes leading to cumulative fatigue. We assess their readiness, evaluate the existing change load, and stress-test the project through a pre-mortem. This allows you to set the stage and make informed decisions on launch, scope, and pacing. Throughout deployment, we track targeted behaviors to guide necessary adjustments.

Building a More Resilient Organization

Strengthening your teams’ adaptability in these uncertain times is a strategic imperative. Yet resilience, much like agility, is not a personality trait; it is a set of cognitive and behavioral skills. As such, it can be measured and developed.

Bringing Your Organizational Culture to Life

A company’s culture is nothing more than the sum of its members’ micro-behaviors. We translate your core values into clear, measurable managerial routines. By shaping the work environment, we enable desired norms to emerge naturally and sustainably.

Developing your resilience and agility

When changes happen in rapid succession, teams wear out before they can adapt: shifting priorities, delayed decisions, and quiet disengagement. We measure their ability to withstand pressure and reorganize, then develop this as a core competency so they can navigate uncertainty without burning out.

Successfully managing an integration/merger

A strategic project is often added to changes already underway, and the pressure frequently masks team fatigue. Before launch, we assess their readiness for change and conduct a pre-mortem to uncover unspoken risks. This allows for better decisions regarding scope, pace, and resources.

Changing your business or operating model

Shifting from a product-based to a service-based, platform-based, or agile model changes everyone's work without necessarily touching the organizational chart. Habits from the old model often persist for a long time. We identify the routines that need to be replaced and design the conditions that make new practices easier to adopt than the old ones.

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