Imposter syndrome is bad for employees and for business. Here are 3 ways leaders can stop it in its tracks.

Think of a child struggling with a puzzle that's tricky but very much within her ability to solve, with time. When we let the child struggle and ultimately solve the puzzle, she proves to herself that she can tackle a difficult task. Her self esteem and sense of mastery grow. She doesn't need someone to solve the problem for her; she can do it herself.

Empowering your employees to solve their own problems is not unlike this. Many times when an employee comes to a manager with a problem, the solution is already known. Instead of offering up a solution, ask your employee what she thinks she should do, and try not to intervene as she brainstorms. In most instances, when the employee talks herself through the problem without your input, she'll come to a solution. Even if it's not necessarily the solution you might have suggested, you might consider letting her run with it and experience the aftermath for herself. Regardless of the outcome, you've proved to your employee that she knows more than she initially gave herself credit for.

To combat imposter syndrome, it's critical for leaders to reward teaching, mentoring, and question asking among teammates. Leaders must establish and normalize a culture wherein there are inevitable gaps in people's knowledge and they seek answers rather than feel shame. Here are some ways to do this:

1. Publicly own the gaps in your own knowledge without shame and communicate how you plan to seek answers.
2. In team meetings you can mandate that each person ask a question at the beginning or end of the meeting.
3. Publicly thank people for their questions: "It was courageous of you to be the first person to ask a question. Thank you."
4. Pair employees with complementary skill sets together to learn a new task.

When we normalize question asking, we are telling employees that it's okay to not know the answer. When people feel comfortable seeking answers, they fill gaps in their understanding and are therefore are more knowledgeable.

In order to prevent the byproducts of imposter syndrome from adversely affecting the company's bottom line, leaders have a responsibility to address it and support employees who suffer from it. By using these three strategies, leaders can get a handle on imposter syndrome and prevent it from becoming a cultural norm.

Julia Wuench is the founder of The Authenticity Guide. In addition to coaching, she teaches workshops on topics like "The Positive Power of Failure," "Imposter Syndrome," "Using StrengthsFinder on Teams," "The Elusive Work/Life Balance," and more. She holds an MBA from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business. Learn more and sign up for her newsletter on her website at www.theauthenticityguide.com.