Confidence Through Feedback, or Why Imposter Syndrome Is the Wrong Metaphor

Dealing with insecurity is very challenging and people approach it in different ways. This evidence based approach to improving confidence within a team using code review feedback and communication sound very good. I'd like to hear more about systems that teams use for reviewing each others code in a constructive way that is not adversarial and leads to improved confidence in team members.

This situation is so pervasive among programmers that there is a common management technique where you goad the programmer into working by suggesting that they can't do it. Their insecurity makes them feel that they need to prove their ability and then they work harder under these conditions.

Positive reinforcement and team based skills improvement seem like they would be better, but the "prove you can do it" method also sometimes results in actual growth.