How Susan Went From Fearing Meetings to Leading Them
Susan was the kind of professional everyone wanted on their team. She was brilliant, organized, and capable of managing complex projects with seemingly effortless skill. But she had a secret that was quietly derailing her career: she was absolutely terrified of speaking up in meetings.
"I felt like a complete imposter," she told us. "My voice would get shaky, my thoughts would race, and I'd rush through my points so quickly that nobody really understood what I was trying to communicate."
This fear was creating an invisible ceiling on her career. Despite her exceptional work, she was consistently passed over for leadership opportunities because her perceived lack of confidence was being mistaken for a lack of competence.
The Deeper Story Behind the Fear
As we worked together, Susan and I uncovered the roots of her speaking anxiety. Like so many professionals, she had developed what I call "imposter syndrome of the voice"—a deep-seated belief that her ideas weren't worthy of taking up space in important rooms. This was compounded by a few early career experiences where her ideas had been dismissed, creating a neural pattern that equated speaking up with social danger.
The Journey: More Than Just Technique
Susan initially came to our program looking for quick fixes. But the real breakthrough came when we addressed the deeper patterns driving her fear. Using our Yes You Can Speak method, we worked to:
Reconnect with Her Expertise: We spent time connecting Susan with the unique value and wisdom which rebuilt her internal sense of authority.
Develop Somatic Practices: She learned grounding techniques to help her stay present and calm her nervous system when anxiety arose in meetings.
Reframe Her Internal Dialogue: We practiced shifting her focus from "What if I say something stupid?" to "What does this team need to understand?"
The Breakthrough and Ripple Effects
Susan’s transformation wasn't sudden; it was gradual and sustainable. About two months into our work, her department head asked her to present a new initiative. In the past, this would have sent her into a spiral of anxiety. Instead, she felt excited.
The presentation was a success, not because it was perfect, but because it was present and authentic. Within six months, she was promoted to a senior leadership role.
Susan's story is a powerful reminder that speaking with confidence is not an innate talent. It is a skill that can be built, not by memorizing scripts, but by rewiring our response to pressure from the inside out.
