Michael Kovac / Contributor/Getty Images
- Barbara Corcoran said having imposter syndrome or self-doubt at work is beneficial.
- This is because it drives people to work harder, she said.
- Corcoran, who founded real estate brokerage The Corcoran Group, said her success is due to her insecurity.
"Shark Tank" investor Barbara Corcoran said there are benefits to feeling a little insecure at work.
"I'll let you in on a little secret: all great entrepreneurs have imposter syndrome," Corcoran wrote in the caption below one of her recent TikTok videos.
"That nagging voice that pops in your head telling you you're not good enough … that you don't deserve to be where you are. Heck, I've got it too! But today I'm telling my Inner Circle why it might just be your greatest strength," she said.
Imposter syndrome is defined as a "psychological condition that is characterized by persistent doubt concerning one's abilities or accomplishments accompanied by the fear of being exposed as a fraud despite evidence of one's ongoing success is a feeling of self-doubt among high-achieving people."
Corcoran said this feeling can be helpful at work because it "guarantees" that "you're going to try harder than the next guy, and it's in the trying that you find your confidence."
"My success is entirely due to my insecurity," she added.
The businesswoman founded the real estate brokerage The Corcoran Group in 1973 and sold it to NRT for $66 million in 2001. She went on to become one of the original investors in the TV show "Shark Tank" and has appeared in all 15 seasons since.
There is some evidence to suggest that some workers with imposter syndrome can have better interpersonal skills because they are more focused on others. This includes listening to others, asking more questions, and showing empathy.
Author Henna Pryor explores this topic in her book "Good Awkward: How to Embrace the Embarrassing and Celebrate the Cringe to Become the Bravest You."
In an excerpt of the book, shared by Business Insider, she writes: "It's healthy and even useful to feel self-doubt if that feeling raises your effort, motivates you to prepare more, and inspires you to reach higher and grow faster."