Courage is resistance to fear and mastery of fear—not absence of fear.
–Mark Twain
We’ve worked with many leaders, teams and organizations over the past couple of decades and have observed commonly shared fears that impact effective leadership and one’s ability to succeed.
Here are 5 common fears that even the best leaders need to be able to recognize and master:
Fear #1 – Fear of documenting a Vision, Mission and Goals
Q. Even seasoned leaders may resist documenting these. Why?
A. There may be feelings of anxiousness when putting one’s thoughts on paper, sharing them with others, having them critiqued, supported, and actioned. There is a fear of trying something new and unknown and wondering if results will be obtained.
Fear #2 – Fear of Delegation and building a Collaborative Team
Q. Why don’t we act as a team?
A. Without shared and agreed upon vision, mission and goals, team members may not understand priorities and strategy and how they can collaborate to achieve even more successes. Delegation shows trust, and trust is the foundation for teamwork.
Fear #3 – Fear of accountability and following processes
Q. What happens if we aren’t accountable for our actions and processes?
A. There is a need to define processes and required roles and assess what can be done to increase effectiveness. We need ownership and we need repeatable processes for growth to occur.
Fear #4 – Fear of failure
Q. Why do many leaders maintain a low profile and take minimal risks?
A. No one likes to fail or make mistakes so not taking action or any chances sometimes feels like the right thing to do. It isn’t!
Fear #5 – Fear of Success
Nelson Mandela said:
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant gorgeous, talented and fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be?
Good question! Do you have the courage to live your passion and influence others to learn and succeed? How are you contributing to the effectiveness of your team and business?
Don’t let fear be a barrier to success!
Being brave isn’t the absence of fear.
Being brave is having that fear but finding a way through it.
–Bear Grylls