The relationship between impostor phenomenon and transformational leadership among students in STEM

Transformational leaders are role models, inspire their teams to be innovative, and pay attention to their followers' needs to reach goals and personal growth. However, the development of transformational leadership could be inhibited by impostor phenomenon. The impostor phenomenon was first observed in gifted women who felt like frauds, although they were outstanding achievers. This study examined the relationship between impostor phenomenon and transformational leadership in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students. Five hundred forty-eight students (419 undergraduates and 129 graduates; 29% female) participated in an online survey in Spain. We used structural equation modeling to test a regression model associating the impostor phenomenon with different leadership styles. The findings showed that impostor phenomenon relates negatively to the transformational style and positively to the transactional and passive leadership styles. The role of gender was also highlighted but showed no substantial effects. Although first-year female students experienced significantly greater impostor feelings than their male counterparts, the impact of the impostor phenomenon on leadership styles was not dependent on gender. Based on the results, we discuss that impostor phenomenon can be one obstacle in the leadership journey, as it is shown to be associated with less effective leadership styles.