PDF
Published
2025-07-29
Issue
Section
Leadership
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Jaclyn Cole, Anthony DeClue, Jordan Marie Ballou, Kristy Brittain, Melissa Ruble, Caroline Sasser, Caroline Ko, Melissa Noble, Brandon Jennings
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Copyright of content published in INNOVATIONS in pharmacy belongs to the author(s).
Relationship between leadership strengths and imposter phenomenon in pharmacy professionals and students
Jaclyn Cole
University of South Florida Taneja College of Pharmacy
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8600-1079
Anthony DeClue
Medical University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8005-2983
Jordan Marie Ballou
University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8177-5315
Kristy Brittain
Medical University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3766-3794
Melissa Ruble
University of South Florida Taneja College of Pharmacy
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8532-4367
Caroline Sasser
University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1465-5289
Caroline Ko
University of the Pacific Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8675-1686
Melissa Noble
University of South Florida Taneja College of Pharmacy
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7832-1416
Brandon Jennings
Phi Lambda Sigma Pharmacy Leadership Society
https://orcid.org/0009-0003-7093-823X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24926/iip.v16i2.6441
Keywords: pharmacy, leadership strengths, imposter syndrome, growth mindset
Abstract
Objective: To identify trends between leadership strengths and the prevalence of imposter phenomenon (IP), with a secondary focus on growth mindset.
Methods: An anonymous electronic survey invitation was shared through email and social media accounts, targeting pharmacists and pharmacy students who had completed the GiANT Worldwide 5 Voices Assessment utilized by the Phi Lambda Sigma Leadership Society for leadership development. Survey content included leadership voice order, Clance Imposter Phenomenon (CIP) scale, and Implicit Theories of Intelligence Scale (ITIS). Responses were analyzed through both descriptive and inferential statistics.
Results: Twenty-five respondents were included in the final analysis: P3 students (n=4), P4 students (n=6), PGY-1 residents (n=4), PGY-2 residents (n=1), practicing pharmacists (n=4), pharmacy faculty members (n=3), and did not disclose (n=3). Primary voices included 9 Nurturers (36%), 7 Pioneers (28%), 3 Connectors (12%), 3 Creatives (12%), and 3 Guardians (12%). Pioneers (CIP mean=67.43) and Nurturers (CIP mean=66) reported high IP, while Connectors had the least IP prevalence at a moderate level (CIP mean=50.33). Growth mindset was more prevalent in Pioneers and Connectors, while Nurturers more commonly reported a fixed mindset.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that the prevalence of IP cannot be assumed based on the volume or perspective (future vs. present orientation) of individual leadership strengths. The prevalence of IP did not appear to correlate with reported growth mindset.
