Understanding and overcoming the imposter syndrome phenomenon

About this event

Would you like to feel more confident, and put yourself forward for opportunities, projects or simply speak up in meetings?

As a People Professional, do you experience a nagging doubt that you could be ‘found out’ or have a need to be perfect or a fear of making mistakes because they ‘prove’ you are not up to the job?

The event will raise awareness of what the imposter syndrome is, why it is really a phenomenon, how it differs from self-doubt, and triggers and causes. Our guest speaker, Kate Atkin, will provide researched strategies to overcome the imposter feelings and tips on how to support others as a leader or manager. You will also be encouraged to be courageous and update your self-perception to a more positive, and more accurate, view.

Grounded in both academic research and personal experience all Kate’s sessions are interactive, informative and practical.

Kate will provide a bespoke webpage with additional details on the imposter phenomenon, a downloadable version of the slides and links to extra resources. This page can also be updated after the event to include answers to any questions that crop up during the event, which are not addressed at the time.

By the end of the event attendees will be able to:

• identify their own imposter thinking and the difference between that and normal self-doubt
• gain an understanding of the common causes/triggers of the imposter phenomenon
• begin to challenge their own imposter feelings and discover their inner courage
• understand how to support others

Kate Atkin

Kate Atkin is an inspirational speaker, training consultant and author. With over 25 years of experience as a facilitator, she has worked with many clients on business, management and communication issues. A highly skilled listener, Kate’s style is both supportive and challenging.

Kate comes from a farming background in Lincolnshire and currently lives near Cambridge. She had a successful career with Barclays Bank plc before starting her own learning and development business in September 2000. In 2015 Kate completed an MSc in Applied Positive Psychology which brought insights into well-being, meaning and positivity that she incorporates into her work. Kate was awarded a PhD in 2024 for her research into the imposter phenomenon, coping strategies and psychological courage. She has worked with many large corporate clients, technology and engineering companies, as well as government departments including the United Nations, and a variety of NHS Trusts.

Author of The Presentation Workout, The Confident Manager and The Imposter Phenomenon which is Kate’s third and most personal book, based on her PhD thesis, published by Pearson in June 2025.

Please note:

1. Webinar joining instructions will be sent to you again 1 day before the event, with a further reminder 15 minutes prior to the event starting.
2. The session may be recorded and shared with people afterwards. Please bear this in mind and have your camera off if you do not wish for your image to be shared.
3. The chat function will be used for participants to engage with the webinar, so just be mindful of the login name you use and ensure you are happy for other people to see this.
4. For security reasons, it is requested that participants join the live session 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time and with the same name as registered on Eventbrite - not doing so may cause a delay or non-admittance to the event.
5. This event may include an external speaker who has prepared their own presentation. Any views or opinions expressed by the speaker are their own and do not reflect those of the CIPD.
6. If you require any reasonable adjustments to enhance your experience, please get in contact with us by responding to this email and we will do our best to accommodate.