Blog

“Freedom from fear enables you to do so much more.” Director, Social Business

When we talk about fear in leadership, so often it is with reference to the imposition of fear from above, often a domineering CEO using fear as a tool of control.

Do you find yourself wanting to make things “just so” before you allow them into the world, whether an email, a presentation, a proposal? Or perhaps you’re holding back from approaching a key stakeholder until you’re “ready”? 

What if I were to tell you that there are leaders missing in your organisation? That there are voices, ideas, opinions and talent that are not showing up?
I’m not talking about a headcount issue or a rash of absenteeism. I’m talking about a powerful force that stops leaders from expressing themselves fully : fear.

Do you sometimes wonder why people can’t see right through you? That they’re bound to find out sooner or later that you’re only masquerading as a successful professional – you really haven’t got a clue what you’re doing?

Do you believe leaders need to know what they’re doing? That they need to get it right first time? Do you feel uncomfortable yourself when you don’t have all the answers?

Do you find it challenging to create time and space to think? Is your day a whirlwind of emails, meetings, calls and unexpected demands? Do you reach the end of the day not having worked on what matters to you?

The good thing about taking a break at Christmas is that it’s virtually the one time in the year when there is almost a universal work hiatus. You can be fairly confident that you’re not going to have a backlog of work and emails when you get back to work because everyone else is taking a break too.

Is being inspiring a necessary talent to be a successful leader? And, if so, what does it really take to be inspiring? 

So often, my coaching clients are concerned to make “rational” decisions. When I probe what they mean by this, they don’t want to be seen as “emotional”, but instead making decisions based on “logic”.

What comes to mind when I ask you to envisage a wise person? Do you summon an image of a gnarled but kindly old man with a long grey beard who looks a bit like you imagine Merlin would? (before the TV series, of course!)