Confident At Work

Why do you stay quiet in meetings, even when you know you have something to say?
If you struggle to speak up at work, hold back in meetings or replay conversations afterwards, this episode will help you understand what's really going on.
Rather than simply telling yourself to be more confident, I'll take you through a practical exercise to uncover what you're worried might happen, what you're trying to protect yourself from, and staying quiet will start to make sense!
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why understanding why you stay quiet is an important first step towards speaking up with more confidence.

How to uncover the fears and expectations driving your silence in meetings.

Five simple prompts to help you understand your own response.

Three real-life examples of why people hold back at work, including fear of looking incompetent, humiliation and being belittled.

How recognising what you've learned to expect can help you start updating those responses.

Come along to my next free Speak Up Masterclass:
8 December 2026, 1pm UK time
Sign up free here.

Get private support to feel confident at work - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠book a call to explore private coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

WHY I STAY QUIET  EXERCISE
Work through these questions step by step. Don’t worry about getting the “right” answer - just follow what comes to you.
Start with what you worry might happen when you speak up, then follow it through to what you do to protect yourself.
Finish by bringing it together in one sentence that shows you what staying quiet is doing for you.
1. What am I worried might happen?
 If I speak up, I might…
↓
2. What would that mean?
 If that happened, it would mean…
↓
3. What am I trying to prevent/protect myself from?
 I need to avoid…
↓
4. So what does my brain decide I need to do?
 In order to prevent that, I…
↓
5. The why 
Given what I believe and what I'm trying to protect myself from, it makes sense that I…
Even though it means that…

What does it really mean to have authority at work - and how do you build it?
As you become more senior, trusting your own expertise, judgement and decisions becomes increasingly important. But self-doubt, self-criticism and the need for external approval can make it difficult to recognise the authority you already have.
In this episode of the Confident At Work podcast, Anna Manning explores how to build authority at work from the inside out.
You'll learn:
Why faking confidence, getting promoted or winning approval won't create true authority.

How to recognise and trust your expertise, professional judgement and experience.

What being in your authority looks like in everyday working life, from speaking up in meetings to handling mistakes and disagreeing with senior colleagues.

How the Low Confidence Cycle can undermine your authority.

Three ways to build authority through self-trust, self-respect and practising new habits.

You don't need to become louder or more forceful. You need to learn to trust yourself, recognise what you bring.
Take the Confidence Confidence Assessment to understand the habits that may be getting in the way.

Want to be more confident at work?
⁠Take the Confidence Confidence Assessment⁠ to understand the habits that may be getting in your way.
Get private support to feel confident at work - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠book a call to explore private coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  

Cover art by Jacob McFadden
Theme song by Melissa Carter @ Making Audio Magic

Does getting more senior at work automatically make you more confident? Not necessarily.
As I approach two years of doing F45, I've been thinking about what lifting heavier weights has taught me about building confidence at work.
As your career progresses, you take on bigger responsibilities, make higher-level decisions, present to senior stakeholders and lead more people. But if your confidence habits are working against you, that extra responsibility can leave you feeling more unsure, anxious and under pressure.
In this episode of the Confident At Work podcast, I explore why career progression alone doesn't guarantee confidence - and how the habits of the Low Confidence Cycle and High Confidence Cycle can determine whether you grow stronger or ultimately undermine yourself along the way.
You'll discover why building confidence at work isn't just about taking on bigger challenges. It's about how you treat yourself while you're taking them on.
Ready to build confidence from the inside out?
​Start here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠take our free: Confidence Assessment ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
​Get private support to feel confident at work - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠book a call to explore private coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  

Cover art by Jacob McFadden
Theme song by Melissa Carter @ Making Audio Magic

Are you struggling with low confidence at work because of your boss or manager? If a difficult boss is making you doubt yourself, second-guess your decisions or question whether you’re good enough at your job, this episode is for you.
Your manager doesn’t have to be openly bullying or toxic boss you for their behaviour to affect your confidence. They might be critical, unpredictable, dismissive or undermining — and over time, this can have a serious impact on your confidence, mental health and wellbeing at work.
In this episode, I explore what happens when your boss is affecting your confidence at work, including:
How difficult managers and workplace bullying can damage your confidence
Why it’s important to have someone you can talk to or who can witness what’s happening
The cost of staying in a situation that is damaging your confidence — not just the cost of leaving
Why low confidence can eventually make you doubt whether you could get another job
How to work out whether you can actually thrive in your current environment
How your boss can end up becoming your internal manager — constantly criticising, doubting and setting you impossible standards
What you can do to stop getting stuck in the Low Confidence Cycle

If your boss is making you doubt yourself, this episode will help you step back and look at what is happening — both around you and inside you.

Want to be more Confident At Work?
Start here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠take our free: Confidence Assessment ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get private support to feel confident at work - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠book a call to explore private coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  

Cover art by Jacob McFadden
Theme song by Melissa Carter @ Making Audio Magic

What is the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset, and how does your mindset affect confidence at work?
In this episode, we explore how fixed and growth mindset can influence workplace confidence, particularly when you make mistakes, receive difficult feedback, try something new or get something wrong.
You'll learn:
The difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset and what each looks like in the workplace
How a fixed mindset can turn a mistake or difficult experience into a judgement about your ability and impact your confidence
Why low confidence, perfectionism and unrealistic expectations can reinforce a fixed mindset
What growth mindset at work actually looks like in real-life situations
How to use fair evaluation to assess your performance
A simple way to shift from “I'm just rubbish at that thing” to “What happened, and what can I learn?”
How this can help you build self-trust, resilience and confidence at work

This isn't about pretending everything went well or telling yourself you're brilliant at everything.
It's about learning to evaluate yourself fairly, understand what happened, take the learning - and move forward!

Want to be more Confident At Work?
Start here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠take our free: Confidence Assessment ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Get private support to feel confident at work - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠book a call to explore private coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  

Cover art by Jacob McFadden
Theme song by Melissa Carter @ Making Audio Magic