Shrinking to Fit: The Hidden Cost of Psychological Invisibility at Work
April 17, 2025 | Danielle Mackey, Founder & Principal Consultant @ Lead Amid Consulting
There’s a big difference between having a team… and having a culture.
At Lead Amid Consulting, we specialize in helping organizations build cultures where people feel safe, seen, and empowered to contribute. But the reason I do this work runs deeper than strategy. It’s personal.
The Moment I Knew Something Was Off
I remember being in a role where I felt like I had to carefully manage how I showed up. Not because I lacked confidence, but because I feared judgment. I believed in my ideas, but I was constantly asking myself:
“Will I be seen as too much?”
“Will I be misunderstood?”
“Do I need to tone myself down to be accepted here?”
I wasn’t alone in that experience.
I began noticing this pattern across organizations and industries—especially in high-performing teams where expectations were high but psychological safety was low. Talented people were shrinking to survive judgment, not because they didn’t have something to offer, but because the culture didn’t make room for them to offer it.
Shrinking Is a Survival Response. Not a Confidence Problem
We often talk about “quiet quitting” or low engagement as if it’s a personal issue. But in many cases, what looks like apathy is actually self-protection.
- Team members holding back ideas to avoid tension
- Colleagues silencing themselves in meetings out of fear
- Employees adapting their voice and behavior to meet unspoken expectations
This wasn’t insecurity. It was a response to unclear norms, inconsistent leadership, and a lack of psychological safety.
And every time a team member shrinks, the company loses more than just input—they lose innovation, trust, and long-term retention.
Culture Can’t Be an Afterthought
I founded Lead Amid to change this pattern.
Too often, culture is reactive. It becomes a “fix” after burnout, turnover, or conflict has already taken root. But culture is infrastructure! It’s how people show up and feel safe to contribute. And when it’s strong, everything else works better.
Culture is not a bonus perk, it’s the operating system of your organization. It runs silently in the background, shaping how decisions are made, how people communicate, and whether or not trust exists on your team. When culture is strong, your systems, tools, and strategies have a foundation to actually succeed. When it’s weak or neglected, even the best business plans will falter due to misalignment, confusion, or disengagement.
The challenge is that most companies invest heavily in what they can measure operations, branding and sales processes. Not even realizing that culture is what makes those investments actually stick. You can have the best tools, but if your people don’t feel safe to speak up or take risks, innovation stalls. You can have clearly defined goals, but if your team doesn’t trust leadership, progress becomes performative. Culture is what ties it all together.
That’s why at Lead Amid, we usually start with a culture audit. Not to pick things apart but to help you see what’s really going on within your organization. We take a close look at what’s working, where trust might be slipping, and how your team’s experience lines up with your company’s values. When you have that kind of clarity, you can stop guessing and start leading with confidence. As a result you are building a culture that actually supports your people and your goals.
Let’s Build a Workplace Where People Don’t Have to Shrink
If you're an HR leader or entrepreneur and your team feels disconnected, cautious, or disengaged, your culture may be sending unspoken messages that it's safer to shrink than to show up.
It doesn’t have to stay that way.
Together, we can rebuild your culture from the inside out, so your team can stop shrinking and start thriving.