Leadership and Fear

We fear many things, and we expect leaders to alleviate our deepest fears.

We are afraid of the unknown. We are afraid of making mistakes, and of failing. We are afraid of pain and suffering, of loss and of death. We are afraid that we will be forgotten. We are afraid of other people, and afraid of being left alone. We are afraid of conflict, afraid of the dark, and afraid of speaking in public. We are afraid that we will not meet our potential, and afraid of growing old.

We are afraid that our children will not live as well as we have, afraid that there will not be enough essential resources to go around, afraid that we will not be able to sustain our way of life. We are afraid of senseless violence, afraid of terrorism, afraid of crime, afraid of natural disasters, and afraid of the future.

We expect leaders to make our fears go away. We want them to solve our problems and inspire us to make things better. When they appear not to have the answers we seek, it makes us more afraid.

Leaders are not magicians. They cannot make our fears disappear.

Our most effective leaders are those who recognize in us the potential to understand and resolve our own challenges. They call us to become our truest, deepest selves. They challenge us to see that who we are is greater than our fears. They remind us of our core values, and our vision for where we are going. They help us find workable ways to move forward, and tangible steps to create the future we envision.

Our most effective leaders recognize their own true selves, and appreciate the true selves of those around them.

How will your true self connect to the true selves of those around you today?

How does your true self face your fears?

[Image by Pilottage]