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Articles

Vol. 35 (2015)

Finding Courage and Confirmation: Resisting Impostor Feelings through Relationships with Mentors, Romantic Partners, and Other Women in Leadership

  • Amy Aldridge Sanford
  • Elaina M. Ross M. Ross
  • Shawna J. Blake
  • Renée L. Cambiano
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21423/awlj-v35.a140
Submitted
June 16, 2017
Published
2017-06-12

Abstract

The Impostor Phenomenon (IP) has recently reappeared in popular culture as a result of the bestseller Lean In. IP asserts that many successful people feel like frauds that will be discovered in time. Twenty-nine women in leadership were interviewed in this qualitative study, and it was discovered that the majority of them do not have impostor feelings. Their confidence can be attributed to strong relationships with mentors, romantic partners, and other women in leadership.