Imposter syndrome in tech disproportionately affects women

Let’s be clear, imposter syndrome isn’t some personal flaw. In the tech space, especially, it’s a signal that something’s off in how we build and lead teams. In fast-moving, high-pressure environments, many people experience moments of doubt, but for women, especially in leadership or engineering roles, that self-doubt tends to persist, and it’s not random. It’s systemic.

Women still represent less than a third of the global tech workforce. That’s according to World Bank data cited by the latest Women in Tech report. Even more concerning, the number of women in tech leadership today is actually lower than it was forty years ago. That’s a failure of progress.

It’s no surprise, then, that 85% of female executives in a recent KPMG survey said they believe imposter syndrome is widespread among women in corporate America. And in a 2023 Tech Returners survey, nearly 100% of 250 women trying to re-enter tech said imposter syndrome was a major barrier. That’s not due to a lack of talent or capability. It’s due to systems that keep them second-guessing their place in the room.

The bottom line is this: when women walk into rooms where they’re outnumbered, underrepresented, and often under-recognized, they’re not just managing projects, they’re managing perceptions. That includes how others see them and, over time, how they see themselves. If your organization isn’t actively surfacing and challenging those dynamics, it’s complicit in sustaining them.

Dr. Kristin Austin, Vice President of I.D.E.As. at Rewriting the Code, puts it well. She says our ideas about who gets to make decisions, take risks, and drive innovation aren’t just shaped in the workplace, they’re rooted in early social messaging. These norms don’t just define leadership; they define exclusion, too.

Janice Omadeke, CEO of The Mentor Method, adds that imposter syndrome doesn’t discriminate across age, race, or experience, but it gets worse in underrepresented groups. Why? Because corporate structures often amplify biases already at play, especially when those individuals are the “firsts” or “onlys” in a space.

For executives, the takeaway is simple: if you don’t build systems that actively work to include and elevate women, you’ll keep losing valuable talent to a psychological tax that was never theirs to pay. Confidence in the workplace should come from capability, not conformity. Let’s start designing for that.

Imposter syndrome can damage individual careers and organizational effectiveness

Here’s the reality, when people believe they don’t belong, they hold back. In tech, where speed, innovation, and risk-taking define progress, that hesitation is costly. Imposter syndrome doesn’t just live in the minds of individuals. It leaks into decision-making, team dynamics, and leadership potential. Left unchecked, it limits your capacity to move fast, because key players are second-guessing themselves instead of executing.

Professionals dealing with imposter syndrome often avoid taking on roles with greater responsibility. They underestimate their value, decline stretch opportunities, and hesitate to contribute bold ideas. Over time, this conservative behavior curbs both personal growth and team momentum. In high-output environments, you want people constantly pushing boundaries. If imposter syndrome discourages that mentality, you lose your advantage.

Geneviève Retzlaff, founder of leadership coaching firm Grow Better Together, highlights something C-suites need to pay attention to, “stereotype threat.” That’s when women alter their behavior in male-heavy teams to avoid being judged through a gendered lens. They might hesitate to speak up or distance themselves from leadership discussions, not because they lack insight but because they’re tired of having it misread or undervalued.

Then you get burnout. High performers with imposter feelings often overcompensate by working twice as hard, not to excel, but to prove they should be in the room. This kind of unsustainable effort doesn’t just drain people. It breaks them. And when those exhausted professionals leave or check out mentally, the productivity loss lands on the company.

On a team level, imposter syndrome weakens communication. When employees don’t feel psychologically safe to share unfiltered perspectives, collaboration suffers. Projects lose creative input. Innovation takes a hit. That invisible drag on team performance is real, and over time, it compounds. Executive teams should be measuring that, not just at the burnout stage, but long before.

If your top talent isn’t reaching for big challenges, the system isn’t working. And ignoring this issue won’t make it go away. The smarter approach is to identify where these psychological frictions exist internally, reinforce confidence early, and align culture with ambition, not fear. That’s where long-term performance gains live.

Tackling imposter syndrome requires structural change and deliberate organizational interventions.

You won’t fix imposter syndrome by asking people to “be more confident.” Confidence isn’t the issue, environment is. If the structure signals that someone doesn’t fully belong or won’t be recognized for their contributions, no amount of mindset coaching will change the outcome. That’s where company leadership has to move with intent. Organizations serious about performance need to design for inclusion, not exception.

That starts with access and visibility. Leaders need to make deliberate moves, invite women and underrepresented voices to key discussions early and often. Don’t just pull them in when decisions have already been made. Inclusion must exist at the discovery phase too, where strategies take shape and innovation starts. If your workplace doesn’t reflect future-facing leadership in its own decision-making rooms, you’re building outdated systems.

Recognition matters too. Public acknowledgment of contributions cuts through the invisibility that feeds imposter syndrome. When employees see their ideas championed and their impact known, it accelerates their confidence and contribution.

Dr. Kristin Austin, VP of I.D.E.As. at Rewriting the Code, puts it clearly: organizations must create environments that incentivize risk-taking and innovation from everyone, not just the usual voices. That means rewarding contribution, not just consensus.

Janice Omadeke, CEO of The Mentor Method, adds another layer, compensation and growth. Equal pay isn’t optional in high-performance environments. It sends a message about fairness and value. If female employees are consistently underpaid or passed over for promotions, it reinforces the idea that they’re not ready, even when they are. Pair equal pay with structured access to development resources, upskilling, mentorship, leadership training, and you start leveling the system.

Geneviève Retzlaff, founder of Grow Better Together, recommends organizations build mentorship pipelines, matching women with those who’ve navigated similar challenges. That kind of institutional memory gives people context, clarity, and confidence. These aren’t just support systems, they’re performance drivers.

Executives need to stop treating imposter syndrome as a personal issue and start addressing it as an organizational weakness. If your company isn’t actively working to build a strong internal support system, coaching, mentorship, recognition, training, you’re leaving capability on the table. You can’t scale performance when half your talent is operating at partial confidence. Rebalance the conditions, not the people. That’s how you build a leadership team that reflects what’s next.

Key takeaways for leaders

  • Imposter syndrome is a structural issue: Leaders should treat imposter syndrome not as a personal deficiency but as a signal of systemic imbalance, especially in male-dominated environments like tech. Culture, representation, and early opportunity access all shape how confident, and therefore how effective, your talent feels.
  • Performance suffers when confidence is compromised: Organizations lose valuable contributions when capable employees hesitate to take risks, speak up, or lead due to imposter syndrome. Executives must address environmental triggers, like stereotype threat and unclear advancement paths, to unlock full team potential.
  • Companies must design against exclusion: Curing imposter syndrome requires intentional structural changes, equal pay, visible recognition, inclusive leadership pipelines, and mentorship. Leaders should implement frameworks that reward capability over conformity and create long-term systems of support.

Alexander Procter

July 3, 2025

7 Min