Be a fearless leader. So many times, I heard this statement in my corporate life. What does it really mean? What is being asked of us? Unplug fear from our systems? Sorry to say, but it is impossible.
Let’s get the obvious out of the way: fear is one of our basic emotions, and while many try to avoid it or pretend it isn’t there, it is! We all witness fear manifesting everywhere we go, and for this post, let me focus on work. People employed are afraid that their names are on the next lay-off list, and the self-employed worry if they will have enough clients. Managers fear they will look silly by saying the wrong thing in a meeting or not sounding smart enough in front of clients. The list goes on and on. It is a feast for our inner critics.
Some people say that courage is the antidote to fear, but as Susan David beautifully put it in her Emotional Agility book, courage is fear walking. In other words, it is to embrace fear for what it is, turn towards it and explore what it is trying to tell you.
Unfortunately, so many times, we are told to put a brave face on and soldier through. If we stopped treating everything like it was a war, things could be different. We generally hear words like crush, conquer, take over, dominate, etc, which try to create metaphors to inspire us to get things done and follow the lead. It works somewhat, but does it always have to be this way?
What if fear could be used as a resource? Instead of masking it, we would work with it. I remember that scene from the Pixar movie Inside Out that shows the little girl stopping so she does not trip on the wire. That’s what fear does. It is an invitation to pause, assess the situation in front of you and decide the next step to take.
So, next time you feel fearful and believe you need to be fearless, pause. Fear is trying to tell you something. Listen to it, reflect and go. One step at a time.
Fear is trying to tell you something
