How to be an ally at work without feeling like an imposter

"Most people care about fairness at work and want to support colleagues who face marginalization-for example, people of color, women, and people with disabilities. Our research has found that 76% of employees want to be allies to co-workers who face additional challenges, and 84% value equity. That's in line with a 2025 national survey that found 88% of employees supported employers offering training on how to be more inclusive. So why doesn't that support always turn into action?"

"The impostor phenomenon, formerly called the "impostor syndrome," is the feeling that you're not good enough-even when there's objective evidence that you are. Researchers have documented it across many workplace and professional settings, including in health care, technology, entrepreneurship, the C-suite, and academia. Importantly, these feelings are linked to significantly higher anxiety and feelings of depression among people who want to be allies."

Seventy-six percent of employees want to be allies and 84% value equity; 88% support employers offering training on inclusivity. Some employees freeze with worry because they feel like a fake, believing they lack skills to support marginalized coworkers despite wanting to. Those feelings can block action and create a self-reinforcing loop of increased fraudulence. One in five people who want to support marginalized groups experience the impostor phenomenon even when they have the skills to be effective allies. The impostor phenomenon appears across many professions and is linked to higher anxiety and depression. Men, leaders, younger employees, and people of color show higher likelihood in allyship contexts.

Read at Fast Company