Anycia Grady, MSSA, LISW-S

I attribute my success to several key factors that have shaped my nearly 20-year career journey. First, taking that Gallup Strengths survey was a turning point because it revealed that I had strategic leadership skills that were being underutilized. I thought I would fall under the caregiving domain like many of my team members, but scoring as strategic made me realize I needed to shift my narrative and pursue roles that allowed me to identify gaps in services and provide macro-level support. I've also been intentional about my growth, always volunteering for pilots and additional roles to gain skills and expand my knowledge, even when it meant doing extra work. As a first-generation college student without a mentor for most of my career, I had to be self-taught, researching, watching other people's pathways, and observing how to advance. I've always come from the mindset that I wanted to get to a point of influence as a Black woman in the mental health field, so I intentionally positioned myself for that. Another critical factor has been my ability to be a creative and a convener. Winning all three categories at the Cleveland Leadership Center's Accelerate Pitch Competition in 2023 with my Seeking Supervision platform really propelled me further into leadership roles and validated that I could turn ideas into impact. But ultimately, I think my success comes from being an advocate at heart, whether it's advocating for employees, for career advancement, or for mental health services. I believe that getting your license shouldn't be a barrier to advancing and becoming your best self, and that philosophy drives everything I do. I also value creating safe spaces for my staff and approaching people with curiosity rather than criticism, putting myself back in their shoes because I was there once too.

The best career advice I’ve ever received came early in my life from my 4th grade teacher, Miss Pempis, who believed in me and consistently supported me. Her encouragement helped me understand that I could set goals and achieve them through focus and effort, starting with earning honor roll and building on that success. That experience became the foundation of my mindset and taught me the value of setting clear goals and pursuing them with confidence. While I’ve since had other influential mentors, including Dr. Peters in undergrad who introduced me to opportunities like Case Western and guided my academic path, it was Miss Pempis who most profoundly shaped my belief in my own potential and set the trajectory for my personal and professional growth.

As someone who didn't have a mentor for most of my career, I can tell you that there are unique challenges, especially as a woman of minority, in knowing where to go and what questions to ask. One of the biggest things I've learned is that sometimes I didn't even know what question to ask. So my advice is this: if there is a person in your school or in your job who challenges you to do better and to do more, understand that there's a difference between a challenger and someone who is just critical. It's okay to ask somebody to be your mentor. I didn't learn that until I just turned 40, but you can actually ask people to be your mentor and say, 'Hey, can I talk with you for a minute?' Networking is so important, and that was something I did not understand in my younger years - how to network and use those resources. Networking will allow you to be introduced to individuals who might not have the resource or the answer themselves, but they might know someone who can help you. I love to sit down and have coffee with people, whether it's virtual or in person, and just talk for an hour over a cup of coffee or tea, or lunch, or even happy hour depending on the person. It doesn't have to be every day, but periodically checking in and saying, 'Hey, how's it going?' Having someone in your corner to be a thought partner with is a must. It's not impossible if you don't have it, but it's a little bit harder. So seek out mentors, network intentionally, and build those relationships that will support your growth.

Anycia will be jumping in to add more detail regarding her career goals for the future and what has inspired her journey so far, anybody who has been an inspiration and motivated her, how she would like to connect with other women in our network and how she would like to inspire our readers, things that bring her joy in life including her wonderful son, her hobbies and interests as well as any accomplishments or accolades she would like us to highlight and any details regarding her goals for the future that we can bring to life in her feature.

The values that are most important to me, both personally and professionally, center around being people-centered and treating individuals the way I would want to be treated. I'm a change agent at heart, and I make certain that people are cared for. Whether I'm going to a doctor or a mental health provider myself, I want the same quality of care that I give to others, so I make sure I provide that level of care. When I'm talking with my staff, I put myself back in their shoes because I was there, and I approach situations from a place of curiosity rather than being critical. I value being able to approach people in a human way and understanding that people have human experiences that guide what they're doing, and that's really important to me as opposed to jumping to conclusions. As an advocate and a change agent, I believe in creating environments where people feel supported and understood. When I think about work, I always consider whether the organizational values align with who I am, because that alignment is essential for me to do my best work and make the impact I want to make.