Psychological Safety for Quiet People — From Networking to Leading More Inclusive Teams
Anna Grady · Episode 48
Beat Imposter Syndrome
Anna Grady is an executive coach and former tech COO who spent years fighting her introversion before reading Susan Cain's *Quiet* in 2022 — a watershed that reframed her quietness as a leadership strength. She now coaches women in tech leaders on confidence, psychological safety, and leading authentically. This is one of Greg's strongest episodes — deep personal disclosure from both sides, practical tools, and a memorable definition of confidence.
I learned that confidence doesn't have to be loud. Sometimes it is okay if it's quiet.
It was after my role in the tech company that I was able to leverage my strengths as an introvert and really own it and see it as a gift.
You won't hear much out of this one.
Key Stories
- The scary uncle: At age eight, Anna’s uncle introduced her to a new family member saying “you won’t hear much out of this one” — she spent decades carrying that shame about being quiet.
- Comparing to her extroverted co-founder: As COO she constantly felt “less than” watching her extroverted co-founder work rooms she found exhausting. Her confidence grew through doing, not through changing who she was.
- Blindsided by divorce: A painful divorce in 2019 led her to hire a coach, which started a journey of self-discovery that eventually led her to leave tech and become a coach herself.
Techniques & Frameworks
- Confidence as action + self-compassion: Anna’s definition — confidence doesn’t have to be loud; it grows by taking action and giving yourself grace when it’s hard.
- Asking questions as contribution: Using questions in meetings as a low-pressure way to participate and demonstrate leadership presence.
- Small goals for networking: Quality over quantity — set one intention (meet one person, learn one thing) rather than trying to “work the room.”
- Psychological safety practices: Simple ways leaders can signal to quieter voices that it’s safe to contribute.