A senior dean of Duke Kunshan University has told a Global Leadership Academy event that imposter syndrome remains a real issue for many women, as she recounted her own efforts to overcome feelings of inadequacy as a student.
Dean of Undergraduate Studies Professor Marcia France was one of several DKU faculty, students and employees sharing insights at the inaugural meeting of the Women in Leadership Panel, a dedicated forum hosted by the university’s academy to empower and inspire community members to be effective and fulfilled leaders.
Panelists at the event on April 15, 2022, broached issues ranging from leadership in times of crisis to encountering discrimination and improving self-esteem.
In a discussion on assertiveness, France said: “Imposter syndrome is real and lots of people suffer from it in different ways and women tend to have it more.”
She said that in graduate school she felt intimidated by people who she thought were “so much smarter”, before realizing they also had gaps in their knowledge.
On fighting back against imposter syndrome, France, who is also associate vice chancellor for undergraduate programs and the Language and Culture Center, said she had worked on developing confidence in her own abilities and learned to trust her instincts and judgment.
Class of 2023 student Rachel Yu said imitating confidence and positivity as well as having supportive friends helped to improve her mindset.
“My way to become more confident in what I am doing is to ‚’fake it till you make it’,” the media and arts student told the Zoom discussion.
“Before, I was not very confident, I was kind of insecure and then I had a lot of friends telling me that actually I’m great. I think good friends also contribute to building your confidence.
“There is just not much to lose. It maybe feels like a big deal but actually it’s not when you stand up for yourself or voice your opinion.”
The rest of the DKU panel was made up of environmental science and public policy student Lan Tang; Helen Hu, chief financial officer; Annemieke van den Dool, assistant professor of environmental policy; and Luyao Zhang, assistant professor of economics. The panel was chaired by academy facilitator Maranda Cox, who is a Residence Life coordinator.
The Global Leadership Academy, run by Residence Life within the Office of Student Affairs, is an extracurricular development program designed to nurture students into leaders capable of making their mark on campus, in Kunshan and across the world.
The idea for the Women in Leadership series was born from a desire to help all community members become the best leader they could be.
“These sessions are a dedicated space for DKU community members to engage with topics related to women in leadership,” said Cox, who runs the series with fellow Residence Life coordinator Emme-Lancia Faro. “The goal of these panels is to inspire, learn and take action as leaders.”
Asked during the April meeting to share any personal experiences of discrimination, van den Dool pointed to repeated instances of disparity in the way male and female professors were referred to in some panel talks.
“Males are addressed in the discussion as professors, but women with the same titles are not,” she said.
“Given that we all have a Ph.D. title and all are professors this shouldn’t be happening.”
She added: “The issue here is not titles; the issue is we need to have equal treatment regardless of gender or any other distinction.”
Tang, who is graduating from DKU this year, recalled how she was taken aback by a comment during a performance review with a manager at a company she was working for, only fully realizing the absurdity of the remark later on.
“In the ‚’things to work on’, he talked about the good side and the bad side and the top thing he listed on my bad side was that ‚’her voice is too soft’,” the Class of 2022 student said.
“I actually took a few weeks to reflect: ‚’what’s wrong with my voice, should I be more manly when I speak’?
The panel also shared advice on how to lead others through challenging periods such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hu, who oversees finance, IT and procurement at DKU, said building positivity among your team in times of hardship was important.
“Find some physical way to gain some small wins,” Hu said. “These can build some traction and show other people there is still hope. The message is ‚’don’t give up and don’t get frustrated if things don’t always come your way – there are still things you can look forward to’.”
Zhang, a senior research scientist at DKU’s Data Science Research Center, quoted Daoist thought to say that adverse situations also brought opportunities.
“If there are no problems then what is the meaning of our existence and how can we accomplish self-fulfillment?” she said.
“I think this is what DKU is built for, solving the problems that no one has solved before.”
The next Women in Leadership Panel event is scheduled for Friday, May 6, at 10-11:30 a.m.
