“Anxiety is not defining you, it doesn’t represent your past or your future. It’s simply something you’ve used to feel safe.” – Denise G. Lee
Why We Need to Talk About Anxiety
Have you ever found yourself lying awake at night, replaying a conversation or worrying about what might happen? I know I have.
Anxiety isn’t just about feeling stressed; it affects our decisions, how we negotiate, what we ask for (or fail to ask for), and the way we lead. When we combine anxiety with people-pleasing—the need to keep everyone happy – we often end up feeling drained, overworked, and undervalued.
That’s why I was so excited to sit down with Denise G. Lee, a Healing and Leadership Coach, on this week’s episode of “From a Woman to a Leader.”
What Anxiety Really Is
Denise shared a powerful insight:
👉 Anxiety often feels like a constant battle between worrying about what might happen and fixating on what has already happened.
This overthinking can keep women stuck, hesitant to ask for more, reluctant to share their ideas, and fearful of rejection.
But here’s the good news: once we identify and question our discomfort, the fear starts to lose its hold.
People-Pleasing and Burnout
One of the biggest takeaways for me was Denise’s insight on people-pleasing. Many women in leadership roles desire to be liked, to avoid conflict, and to maintain harmony. However, the cost of this behavior is significant; it can lead to feelings of resentment, exhaustion, and missed opportunities.
As Denise mentioned, “If we avoid discomfort for others, we create discomfort within ourselves.” Learning to say “no” is not selfish; in fact, it’s one of the most generous actions we can take for ourselves and the people we lead.
Practical Tools to Manage Anxiety
Denise offered simple but powerful strategies anyone can start using today:
✅ Name the discomfort – Write down exactly what you’re afraid of.
✅ Ask better questions – Are those fears real, or assumptions?
✅ Ground yourself – Take a walk without your phone, touch the earth, breathe deeply.
✅ Practice discomfort – Build confidence by practicing the very things that scare you.
Why This Conversation Matters
This episode is for every woman who has ever:
✨ Said “yes” when she wanted to say “no.”
✨ Hesitated to ask for a promotion or raise.
✨ Felt anxious about not being “enough.”
✨ Wanted to stop overthinking and start leading with confidence.
You don’t need to eliminate fear or anxiety completely; you just need to stop letting it control your career and your life.
🎧 Listen to the Full Episode
This conversation with Denise is honest, inspiring, and full of tools you can start applying right away.
👉 Listen to the full episode here
Or watch it on YouTube:
About Denise G. Lee
Denise G. Lee is a Healing and Leadership Coach and host of The Introverted Entrepreneur Podcast. Through her own journey of overcoming trauma, anxiety, and self-doubt, she helps leaders and entrepreneurs break free from patterns that hold them back. She writes extensively on healing and leadership at deniseglee.com/blog.
About Me
Hi, I’m Limor Bergman Gross – Executive Coach for women in tech, former Director of Engineering, and host of From a Woman to a Leader.
Every week, I bring you real conversations with women leaders who share their stories, strategies, and lessons to help you grow in your career with clarity, confidence, and courage.
🌐 Website
▶️ YouTube