Years ago I remember some friends telling me how fortunate I was to have my own business. In my head, I was feeling like I was barefoot, blindfolded and walking over broken glass.
Back then, I was in a state of fear…
→ Fear of failure.
→ Fear of making the wrong call.
→ Fear of letting your team down.
I was:
→ Stuck in reactive mode
→ Second-guessing myself.
→ Primarily focused on “what could go wrong”.
But that fear heal a message.
Learning to listen to it shifted me from frozen focused.
As leaders, we often have to solve the problems or make decisions that no one else in the organization can.
In high-stakes situations, uncertainty can breed discomfort and turn into fear.
Over time and with the help of a coach, some processes, tools and some inner work, I learned to shift energy from fear into empowerment.
If you find yourself there, here are some steps to shift that perspective:
→ 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗹: Recognize fear for what it really is—discomfort in unfamiliar territory. Growth happens there.
→ 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆: Reframe “What if I lose?” to “What can I gain from this?”
→ 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Channel the energy into something productive. Discomfort means you’re stretching—take the next step forward.
→ 𝗧𝗮𝗽 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿: Discomfort forces vulnerability. Lead with transparency and integrity.
→ 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺: Turn that nervous energy into fuel for creating change. Discomfort drives innovation and breakthroughs.
Doing this shifts you into a state of:
→ 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆: Fear fades, opportunities emerge.
→ 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: Discomfort builds resilience and strength.
→ 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆: Reframing fear sparks innovation.
→ 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Shift from reactive to proactive.
→ 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳: Discomfort signals growth, not failure.
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