The Secret Thoughts Of Successful Women: Why Ca... Apr 2026

At the heart of Dr. Young’s research is the realization that "imposters" don’t just have low self-esteem; they have a distorted definition of . They set an impossible bar, and when they inevitably fail to clear it with 100% perfection, they feel like failures.

When Valerie Young, Ed.D., first published The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women , she tapped into a silent epidemic: the . Despite overwhelming evidence of their competence—PhDs, executive titles, and groundbreaking innovations—capable women often chalk up their success to luck, charm, or a "clerical error". The Competence Trap The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Ca...

Dr. Young identifies that drive these feelings: At the heart of Dr

The Fraud in the Mirror: Why Success Makes Capable Women Feel Like Pretenders The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Ca...