The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer from the Impostor Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It

nLearn to take ownership of your success, overcome self-doubt, and banish the thought patterns that undermine your ability to feel--and act--as bright and capable as others already know you are with this award-winning book by Valerie Young. nIt's only because they like me. I was in the right place at the right time. I just work harder than the others. I don't deserve this. It's just a matter of time before I am found out. Someone must have made a terrible mistake. n nIf you are a working woman, chances are this inter-nal monologue sounds all too familiar. And you're not alone. From the high-achieving Ph.

D. candidate convinced she's only been admitted to the program because of a clerical error to the senior executive who worries others will find out she's in way over her head, a shocking number of accomplished women in all ca-reer paths and at every level feel as though they are faking it--impostors in their own lives and careers. n nWhile the impostor syndrome is not unique to women, women are more apt to agonize over tiny mistakes, see even constructive criticism as evi-dence of their shortcomings, and chalk up their accomplishments to luck rather than skill. They often unconsciously overcompensate with crippling perfec-tionism, overpreparation, maintaining a lower pro-file, withholding their talents and opinions, or never finishing important projects. When they do succeed, they think, Phew, I fooled 'em again. n nAn internationally known speaker, Valerie Young has devoted her career to understanding women's most deeply held beliefs about themselves and their success. In her decades of in-the-trenches research, she has uncovered the often surprising reasons why so many accomplished women experience this crushing self-doubt. n nIn The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women, Young gives these women the solution they have been seek-ing. Combining insightful analysis with effective ad-vice and anecdotes, she explains what the impostor syndrome is, why fraud fears are more common in women, and how you can recognize the way it mani-fests in your life.n