Of all of the monsters lurking in the dark and keeping us from moving forward or onward to new career adventures, fear is the most potent. Kicking fear to the curb through deliberate action is key to overcoming the gravitational pull it exerts on our lives and careers.
The most critical issues in our workplaces tend to be the ones we’re not talking about! Challenging conversations offer a gateway to progress, yet too many of us dodge or deflect these discussions, in part, because we've not been trained on the tools and approaches essential for navigating these important situations.
Fear in our professional lives robs us of our hopes and dreams. It keeps us from realizing our potential. Externally imposed fear from boss bullies is toxic as well. Both are capable of being neutralized.
Too many people fail to overcome resistance and start moving forward. Instead of heeding Drucker’s advice, fear rents space in their minds, creating a never-ending litany of excuses that help ensure that their feet remain firmly planted in place.
In spite of the popular myth of the fearless leader, it is my belief that a large number of leaders at all levels struggle with fear. Some work through their fears on the way to developing self-confidence and others battle it daily and resort to various coping strategies, including over-compensating with extreme aggression or extreme timidity. Learning to positively and productively cope with fear is an important part of developing as a leader.
Spend some time to determine whether “fear” is a factor in your organization. If people are in fear for their jobs or living in fear of falling under the wrath of a bully boss, they will not create, innovate or even execute their basic job functions in a quality manner. While today’s corporate bully is not shaking down the other kids for lunch money, he or she is shaking them down and stripping away their self-esteem, their drive and their desire to help the organization succeed. It’s time to hit back.
Feedback is the leadership triathlon equivalent of the swimming leg. Everyone knows that it is the difference maker in overall performance, but because it's hard, uncomfortable and easy to flounder with, many choose to de-emphasize or even ignore it.
