We all have different thresholds of fear in the business world. For some it could be something as simple as asking others for help. For others it could be launching a new product, starting a new business, or finding the right candidate for an open position.
Whatever the situation, as business leaders we still need to lead our team even when we’re scared. We talked a few months ago about reframing fear to overcome it. However, fear can be paralyzing.
Kevin Eikenberry wrote an interesting blog post providing tips to take to lead when you are scared. He says, as leaders it’s alright to be scared, but we can’t remain scared. We still need to lead no matter what the situation is. We can’t stop and do nothing, we need to take action and keep business running as usual.
The View is Scary
As a leader you are the one out front looking at the future for not only yourself, but your team and company. It’s important to know sometimes the view will cause fear.
Acknowledge Emotions
Acknowledge the emotions of your team and of yourself. Be open and honest with them about your feelings and recognize they may have negative feelings too.
Plan and Take Action
Regroup and decide on the next step. Focus on what to do and stop making excuses. Also, don’t forget to bring your team with you. Eikenberry says to provide support and encouragement, and remember there is safety in numbers.
Get Feedback and Keep Moving Forward
Momentum and action help alleviate stress and fear. Eikenberry says momentum and action is usually the path to success and progress.
Just because you are a leader doesn’t mean you never get scared. As business leaders, it’s in our nature to overcome most fears, however sometimes we find ourselves in uncharted waters. Try these tips to get through it and continue to lead your team to success.
What other advice would you add?
You know the expression well; it's lonely at the top.
Every leader deals with self-doubt, fear of making the wrong decision, and other potentially limiting behaviors.
The key is "potentially" because some leaders deal with these emotions well, while others don't.
Leadership coach Art Petty shares the realities of leading others and offers steps for moving past the limiting behaviors. One of the most important things to remember is, even though it feels lonely, no leader is alone in dealing with these issues.
So, what do to?
No one said leading was going to be easy. Many entrepreneurs are born from a passion for the business, and weren't prepared for the bigger tasks at hand; leading a team.
Photo by OzinOH.
Eleanor Roosevelt’s famous quote reminds us to “do one thing everyday that scares you.” We all have different thresholds for fear, and different ways we process our fear.
Overcoming fear also has a different meaning for each of us.
But fear can be paralyzing.
Inc. Columnist Geoffrey James wrote an interesting article about tricking yourself out of fear and into action. The idea is that we get the best results when we take big leaps. They may be one of the scariest times, and full of risk, but the outcome, one way or the other, is most rewarding.
Think about some of the biggest decisions you’ve made in your life; things that disrupted your status quo. I’d be willing to bet, even if the planned outcome wasn’t achieved, it opened other doors to new opportunities.
James said, “I’ve managed to retrain my brain to get past the momentary fear and push toward the payoff.”
I’d love to hear from you, now. What have you done lately to overcome fear?
Photo courtesy of Vale Design.
