What type of imposter are you?
When I first wrote this article in 2021, I introduced the five imposter syndrome types developed by Valerie Young in The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women. Her work has helped millions of people understand that imposter syndrome isn’t a one-size-fits-all experience.
Those five types—the Perfectionist, Soloist, Natural Genius, Expert and Superhuman—continue to resonate with many people today.
But after several years of researching imposter syndrome, speaking to organisations around the world, and listening to thousands of people’s experiences, my own thinking has evolved.
Rather than seeing people as fitting into different types, I noticed recurring patterns in how people respond to self-doubt.
Imposter syndrome isn’t simply something you have.
It’s something you experience—and, often, something you respond to in predictable ways.
That’s why I’ve developed the 5 Imposter Identities.
These identities describe the behavioural patterns we adopt when imposter thoughts take hold. They’re not personality traits or fixed labels. They’re protective strategies that can be recognised, understood and changed.
Most people will recognise themselves in more than one identity, although one usually feels most familiar.
The People-Pleaser
The People-Pleaser believes their value comes from keeping everyone else happy.
They avoid conflict, struggle to say no, and often prioritise other people’s needs above their own. Recognition feels uncomfortable, and disappointing someone feels far worse than becoming overwhelmed themselves.
What begins as kindness can become self-sacrifice.
You might recognise yourself if you:
- Find it difficult to say no.
- Take on work that isn’t really yours.
- Worry about disappointing people.
- Put others’ needs ahead of your own.
The Overachiever
The Overachiever believes they must constantly prove themselves.
No achievement ever feels like enough because success quickly becomes the new baseline. They set exceptionally high standards, work incredibly hard, and rarely stop to acknowledge how far they’ve come.
Outwardly they appear successful.
Internally they’re still wondering whether they’re enough.
You might recognise yourself if you:
- Set impossibly high standards.
- Find it hard to celebrate achievements.
- Tie your self-worth to performance.
- Constantly raise the bar after every success.
The Success-Fearer
The Success-Fearer wants success—but fears what comes with it.
Greater visibility, higher expectations, more responsibility and the possibility of failure can all feel threatening.
Rather than consciously avoiding opportunities, they often hesitate, downplay themselves or stay where they feel safe.
You might recognise yourself if you:
- Hold back from applying for opportunities.
- Downplay compliments or achievements.
- Feel uncomfortable being recognised.
- Wonder whether you’re really ready before taking the next step.
The Procrastinator
The Procrastinator isn’t avoiding work.
They’re protecting themselves from judgement.
Overthinking, endless tweaking, perfectionism and waiting until the “right time” become ways of avoiding the possibility of failure.
Ironically, these behaviours prevent them from showing what they’re truly capable of.
You might recognise yourself if you:
- Spend more time planning than doing.
- Keep refining work before sharing it.
- Delay important decisions.
- Wait until everything feels perfect before starting.
The Comparer
The Comparer constantly measures themselves against other people.
They compare their behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel and use those comparisons as evidence that they aren’t good enough.
Instead of recognising their own strengths, they’re focused on what everyone else seems to be doing better.
You might recognise yourself if you:
- Compare yourself to colleagues or peers.
- Feel discouraged by other people’s success.
- Assume everyone else is more confident than you.
- Minimise your own achievements.
How do the Imposter Identities relate to the original Imposter Types?
If you’re familiar with Valerie Young’s five imposter types, you might be wondering how these identities compare.
Rather than replacing her work, I see the Imposter Identities as building on it. Valerie Young’s framework describes common ways imposter syndrome presents itself. The Imposter Identities focus on the behavioural patterns and coping strategies I’ve observed through years of research, coaching and working with organisations.
They’re a practical way of recognising not just how imposter syndrome feels, but how it influences the choices we make every day.
Which Imposter Identity are you?
Most people don’t identify with just one Imposter Identity.
Depending on your role, your career stage or what’s happening in your life, you may recognise yourself in several.
The important thing isn’t putting yourself into a box.
It’s recognising the patterns that have been shaping your behaviour so you can begin to change them.
Understanding your Imposter Identity is the first step towards building genuine confidence—not by becoming someone different, but by recognising the capability that’s already there.
If you’d like to discover your dominant Imposter Identity, take the assessment and receive your personalised Imposter Identity Report.
For me, the overachiever and people-pleaser resonate most – something I have learned about and am working on! If you want to know more about which identity you are, you can take the quiz here.
Valerie Young’s 5 Imposter Syndrome Types
If you’ve come across imposter syndrome before, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of the five imposter typesdeveloped by Dr. Valerie Young. Her work, first introduced in The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women, has become one of the most widely recognised ways of understanding imposter syndrome.
According to Valerie Young, people tend to experience imposter syndrome in one or more of the following ways:
The Perfectionist
Perfectionists set exceptionally high standards for themselves and can be highly critical when they don’t meet them. Even small mistakes can feel like evidence that they’re not good enough, leading to over-preparing, overthinking and striving for impossible standards.
The Soloist
Soloists believe they should be able to succeed on their own. Asking for help—or accepting it when it’s offered—can feel like admitting they aren’t capable, so they often carry more than they need to.
The Natural Genius
Natural Geniuses believe they should excel quickly and effortlessly. If they have to work hard to learn something new, they may interpret that as a sign they aren’t talented enough, causing them to avoid situations where they might struggle.
The Expert
Experts feel they need to know everything before they’re qualified to contribute. They constantly seek more knowledge, qualifications or certifications because they worry they’ll be exposed if they don’t have all the answers.
The Superhuman
Superhumans believe they should excel in every area of life—career, family, relationships, health and everything in between. They push themselves relentlessly and often measure their worth by how much they can achieve.
Types or Identities?
Valerie Young’s work has helped millions of people understand that imposter syndrome doesn’t look the same for everyone, and her framework remains an important contribution to the field.
My own research and experience working with leaders and organisations led me to a different question: what do people actually do when they experience imposter syndrome?
That’s where the 5 Imposter Identities come in.
Rather than focusing on categories of people, the Imposter Identities focus on the behavioural patterns and coping strategies we adopt in response to self-doubt. Understanding those patterns makes it easier to recognise them, interrupt them and build genuine confidence.
Whether you relate more to Valerie Young’s imposter types, the Imposter Identities, or a combination of both, the important thing is recognising that imposter syndrome is not a permanent part of who you are. It’s a pattern—and patterns can change.
