Leaders: Fear Is a Four-Letter Word

Posted on July 14, 2009 by Erin Schreyer

I have a few friends that are all facing challenges today. Although the challenges are quite different, they all seem to share the same big, ugly obstacle….FEAR! Yes, it’s yet another bad four-letter word, and it can suck the enthusiasm right out of you.  Or worse yet, it can completely paralyze you (say goodbye to any forward momentum!)

Why do we allow fear to get the best of us, and how can we beat it down and get past it?

Here are a few thoughts that may be helpful:

  • Determine what it is –exactly – that you’re afraid of. Can you substantiate it?  Do others recognize this in you, or are you conjuring and or elevating this fear in your mind?
  • Consider – what’s the BEST thing that could happen if I overcome this fear?  Weigh it out against – what’s the worst thing that could happen if I continue to let this fear stop me? Choose the better of the two situations and know that you made the right choice!!
  • Integrate your faith and beliefs. Not that your beliefs have to exactly match mine or anyone else’s, but at the end of the day, it’s extraordinarily helpful to believe in something bigger and better than ourselves.  Faith can be a very powerful thing!!  As stated in Matthew 17:20 – He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
  • Use your talents, strengths and accomplishments to overcome your fear. End each day by journaling about your accomplishments.  Include anything you did that day that could be considered a success or a step in that direction.  Include other people’s comments and compliments.  Make the list as complete as possible and then CONGRATULATE yourself.  Drift off to sleep with your sense of accomplishment and gratefulness.  Your sleep will be more peaceful and your dreams more pleasant!!

What are some strategies that you have employed to get past your fears?  How has standing up to your fears and facing them helped you with subsequent problems? What advice can you give to others that can encourage them to get past their stumbling blocks and obstacles? I’d love to hear your thoughts on how to overcome!!

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 Erin Schreyer is Owner/Managing Partner of Sagestone Partners, LLC.  She is passionate about building into people and companies to help them achieve their greatest potential.  Erin can be reached at eschreyer@sagestone-partners.com

Image Source: menwithpens.ca

Filed under: Future Leadership Issues, Leadership Lessons Learned, Professional Development | Tagged: , , , , , , | 7 Comments »

Are you Prepared to be Wrong?

Posted on June 2, 2009 by Kris Krueger

What if you’re wrong?

What if an idea, approach, solution, thought, or answer you have at this very moment is flat out not right?  What if the thing you’ve done successfully fifty times before in this exact same situation is not the right solution in THIS situation?

How would you know you are wrong?  How would you get another, better solution to appear?  If you knew that there was another approach, would you be willing to admit it?  Would you be willing to let go of what has been successful in the past in order to let this new solution be successful?  Would you be willing to bite your tongue and ask questions to understand rather than behaving in a way that proves you are right?

I’m sure I’m not the only one that has seen 2 “rights” becoming very wrong.

Where two people, both with excellent talents and expertise have become so wrapped up in what they know how to do well that they can’t acknowledge the value of the other person, thus missing a chance to make what they are both good at even better.

Not that this is easy to do because we have likely been rewarded for being right.  In fact, likely earned our positions based on a track record of success.  But just like failure can become a barrier to others’ ideas (e.g., “We tried that before and it didn’t work”), so can success.

One of the many ironies in leadership is that the more successful we are, the more important it is to prepare to be wrong.

Or… to be able to try something different than what we would normally do.  Or… at least to be willing to consider that a method other than ours may work just as well as the way we would do it.  Being willing to be wrong is a risk, and certainly shouldn’t be the approach in every situation, AND yet might be valuable to consider in some circumstances.

Why?  Because that is how we learn, how we add new tools to our toolbox, and how we can tap into the value that others bring to the table.

As a leader, what do you see as other pros, for yourself and for your team, of preparing to be wrong?  How can leaving the door open to failure positively impact you and the people you lead?

Bookmark Are you Prepared to be Wrong?

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Kris Krueger, PhD is an Associate for a global strategy & technology consulting firm
She works with clients to transform their organization and deliver results
Email | LinkedIn | Blog

Image Source: http://www.personal.ceu.hu

Filed under: Coaching Corner, Leadership Lessons Learned, Leadership vs. Management, Practical Steps to Influence | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Big Stinky Obstacles

Posted on December 30, 2008 by L2L Contributing Author

Big Stinking Obstacle

The challenge for servant leaders is to stay the course when their desire to stay connected with their spiritual nature conflicts with the company rule.

Values and beliefs should create the rules by which we govern our lives – not the opposite. Rules should not determine our values and beliefs. All too often, bully management has the perspective that rules are directly linked to performance. They think that without rules, performance must automatically suffer. The truth is that, in many situations, it is the rules that stifle the company culture.

Servant leaders are naturally amiable and they are often global thinkers, not linear thinkers. They are empathetic and tend to be good listeners – giving team members multiple chances and enough time to learn and grow (when in fact, the company is screaming “cut the rope!”)

But servant leaders can’t pull everyone up the mountain. The practical side of their nature – which serves the company’s bottom line – first has to kick in. They still have to be willing to let toxic employees go before they poison the ship.

Servant leaders can stay true to their nature and true to a positive uplifting culture.

They can develop people and attitudes in a way that continues to benefit the company – with good processes and policies that create appropriate boundaries, goals and benchmarks. They can lead without appearing soft with clear communication.

The wise servant leader doesn’t take offense and plot revenge. They listen and adjust – working to improve the path of the team, often in spite of the dead, rotting bear stuck inside the log, fallen across the path (a.k.a. big stinky obstacles).

During difficult times, the adjustments have to be made to let ineffective people go.

What are you doing to get past the obstacles in your way?

Filed under: Values Measurements | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »

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