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Jobs can be stressful, especially when you feel less than your best. Almost three-quarters of American CEOs “experience symptoms of impostor syndrome in their role”, according to a recent report by Korn Ferry, a consultancy. The researchers behind the report, who surveyed thousands of employees, suggested that uncertainty and low confidence are rife at every level of the workplace.

This news reminded me of a story from 2020, when 1843, our sister publication, analysed the modern epidemic of impostor syndrome. Two psychologists, Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes, are credited with naming the phenomenon in the late 1970s. They identified the “internal experience” of feeling like an “intellectual phoney”. If you’re feeling as if you don’t belong in your career, then I encourage you to read this—you may not be alone.

Adam Roberts, digital editor

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