Lawyers Are the Biggest Imposters of Them All. I Should Know: I Am One of Them.

Imposter syndrome affects us all.  Lawyers are not immune. The combination of the unique personality characteristics of a lawyer and the demands of the legal profession creates a toxic environment in which imposter syndrome flourishes.

As a former lawyer turned therapist and leadership coach, I’ve spent almost 30 years working with or around lawyers. I am struck by the prevalence of imposter syndrome in the legal profession, and how the more senior one becomes, the bigger the imposter one can feel.

Here’s the chicken and egg conundrum. Does the legal profession attract lawyers who are predisposed to imposter syndrome (not to mention other mental health issues) or does the nature of the job set it up?

What is Imposter Syndrome?

Imposter syndrome is a term coined in the 1970s to describe a set of beliefs and feelings related to inadequacy. At best, a dose of imposter syndrome surfaces as self-doubt, self-criticism and insecurity. At worst, it leaves one living in fear that sooner or later, the rest of the world will clock on to what we’ve always known, namely we are not as clever, competent or skilful as others think.

People inflicted with imposter syndrome tell themselves stories which unconsciously feed the syndrome. For example, they might believe getting into law school was luck or tell themselves they are not as clever as their peers as they had to work harder for the same result. Some believe their achievements came too easy and therefore are undeserved.

Imposters believe if only they could reach the top and accomplish what they set out to do, they won’t feel inadequate anymore.  Surely it will end when one reaches the holy grail of partnership, or general counsel?  In reality, it’s a race with no winners.

The Chicken: The Personality of the Lawyer

Imagine being able to look inside the brain of a lawyer.  

I recently met with Dr Larry Richard who has done just that, well sort of. He is one of the few experts in our field who has substantively researched the psychology of lawyer behaviour.  He has studied thousands of lawyers over more than 20 years. And his work is far from over.

What strikes me about his research is the extent to which lawyers are hardwired to lean into their negativity bias. In other words, the extent to which we are predisposed to imposter syndrome. 

In comparison to the general population, Dr Richard discovered that lawyers are more sceptical, impatient and self-critical. We strive to be in control. We become defensive more easily and do not cope well with negative feedback, setbacks or rejection. In other words, we are a less resilient bunch.

The research also revealed lawyers to be less empathetic. Given we don’t spend much time reflecting, it’s not hard to see how we might get stuck ignoring objective information about our achievements and focusing on the stuff that feeds imposter syndrome.

The Egg; The Job Requirements

If ever a job was created for imposter syndrome to thrive, it’s that of a lawyer.

Here is a job in which pressurises one to be infallible. Perfection is the bar. Mistakes are punished. Weakness is not tolerated. The essence of a lawyer’s job is to manage risk.  Failure is not an option. Don’t screw up. Don’t miss deadlines. Don’t get the law wrong. Be perfect.

The Consequences of Imposter Syndrome

Although, there is some evidence that the job exasperates the personality characteristics, the lawyers with these characteristics are drawn to the profession.  They are also the ones that flourish.

With a strong fear of failure, these high-achieving lawyers impacted by imposter syndrome reach for misguided coping strategies to prevent being exposed. High achievement becomes confused with the need to be perfect. It sets one up for angst and often leads to procrastination. If we never finish a piece of work and/or put our head above the parapet, no-one can chop it off.

People with imposter syndrome often become workaholics.  They keep peddling to stay ahead and avoid exposure. That risks triggering other mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression and burnout.

The Higher You Climb: The Worse It Gets

Paradoxically, the more senior one becomes, the deeper the insecurities grow. I’ve worked with lawyers whose worlds fell apart on becoming a partner or joining the equity. As the expectations of increased performance arise, the promotion triggers the need to double-down on the cover up. And sadly, law firms and companies don’t pick this up.

For those working in law firms, the comparison game makes it worse. The nature of the partnership is such, that success is relative to one’s peers. As the saying goes, comparison is the thief of joy.

Conclusion

Imposter syndrome doesn’t exist. It’s called being human. We all have self-doubt, and it flares up at different times and in different situations in our life. There is some irony that lawyers, a population skilled in abstract analysis are often among the poorest at objectively assessing their achievements.

We can and should coach lawyers to become more resilient. These are behaviours that are learned. In private practice, there are no quick answers but so long as we structure law firms to compensate lawyers in a way that doesn’t encourage collaboration or teamwork, we risk fuelling the problem. (AI might soon change much of this.)

Leaders across the legal profession arguably have a duty and an opportunity to act as role models. We are all fallible. So why are we all hiding our vulnerabilities? What are we afraid will happen?

When I was the CEO of my legal recruitment business, I wish I’d been brave enough to let my colleagues know how often it felt as if I was winging it. It still does. And that’s OK. Aren’t we all winging it just a little?

This article was first published by the City of London Law Society Training Committee.

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