Young noted that "experts" feel like they need to have all of the information when starting a project and constantly look for ways to improve their skills.
Are you the type of person who feels hesitant to speak up in a meeting for fear of looking unintelligent, or are you afraid to apply for a job if you don't have every ability listed in the posting? If so, it might be a relief to realize that you still have valuable insights to share.
Barri Rafferty, partner, president, and CEO at global communications firm Ketchum, told INSIDER she was plagued by imposter syndrome while speaking on a topic she was simply familiar with, rather than a deep expert about.
"I regularly consult with clients and speak in front of large audiences, but I found myself battling with impostor syndrome the first time I was asked to speak at an event at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The event was focused on the future of artificial intelligence and featured subject-matter experts like the director of MIT's Media Lab and the CIO of IBM, so I felt wildly uninformed by comparison," Rafferty admitted. "I'm not a technology expert, I didn't go to an Ivy League School, and I didn't literally write the book on A.I., as my counterparts did."
Overcoming her fear meant that Rafferty had to realize what she could add to the conversation — a fresh perspective.
"Though I'm not steeped in the tech world, what I did bring to the conversation was the fresh perspective of someone with broad horizontal experience who could discuss best practices from across many industries," she explained. "Even more, I saw that my experience in storytelling and marketing helped me communicate in a way that resonated with the audience. I could be more relatable and memorable by speaking from experience instead of theory. By bringing a different perspective, I added value to the conversation in a way the other panelists couldn't."