Stop Fixing Women: Why Imposter Syndrome Is a Systemic Problem – Not a Personal One

Why are we still talking about imposter syndrome – and why are we still trying to fix women and other minorities?

I’m fed up with hearing about fixing the symptom, not the cause.

Yes, imposter syndrome exists.

But it’s not a personal flaw or a lack of confidence – it’s a perfectly rational response to cultural, social and systemic factors that chip away at people’s sense of belonging.

Here are just a few of the root causes:

• Perfectionism – reinforced in environments where women and minority groups are judged more harshly.
• Upbringing – shaped by biased expectations about who belongs and who leads.
• Cultural and social pressures – especially when you’re “the only one” in the room.
• Comparison traps – driven by narrow definitions of success that exclude difference.
• Workplace culture – where a lack of feedback, recognition or inclusion breeds self-doubt.

These aren’t problems you fix with a confidence workshop, women’s leadership training or by launching a women’s network.

We don’t need to fix the women – we need to fix the system.

Because when we fix the culture:

• We unlock business benefits.
• We create a long-term fix, not a revolving door of self-doubt.
• We solve the problem for everyone, not just women and other minorities.

A meeting where everyone is heard is a good meeting.
A workplace where everyone feels seen, valued and safe – that’s a great culture.

It’s time to stop asking individuals to adapt to broken systems.

Let’s start asking systems to adapt to real people. Let’s demand that our leaders ‘turn up ( for) inclusion’.