Fear less

The psychology of fear involves understanding the emotional response of fear, its triggers, the physiological reactions it incites, and its behavioural and cognitive impacts. Fear is a fundamental, deeply wired reaction, evolved to ensure the survival of our ancestors by alerting them to the presence of danger and preparing the body to either fight or flee. In short, if my ancestors didn’t run for their lives I wouldn’t be here; and in case you wanted to know how my ancestors looked like, refer to the cover art above!

When embarking on transformation or a change project you have to understand your stakeholders will likely have fear. Understanding and addressing those fears is important. I use the Fearless worksheet for myself, however it lends itself to stakeholder fear mapping. https://www.t4leader.com/fearless

How to go about using this whether for yourself (like me) or for you stakeholders.

Step 1: Understand Your Risk Appetite

Assess your tolerance for risk. If you're risk-averse, your approach to risk mitigation will differ from that of a risk-taker. Remember, your strategies should be tailored to your individual context and should not be directly compared with others. We cannot negate that culture can shape what we fear and how we express and deal with that fear. Social learning, such as observing fearful reactions in others, can also influence our own fear responses. The same is true for organisational culture; some organisations are more risk taking than others. It’s important to take that into consideration when doing this exercise. Do not shy away from having candid conversations around this.

Step 2: Identify and Prioritize Fears

Honestly list all your fears, no matter how many there are, and ridiculous they may be. Prioritize this list, maybe by ease, or importance, focusing on a manageable number (e.g., top 10). This is similar to setting New Year's resolutions: having too many goals can be overwhelming and may hinder your ability to address any of them effectively. Having too many fears to overcome can do the exact opposite of the exercises intended outcome.

Step 3: Analyse Your Fears

Ask yourself, "What is the worst that could happen?" and then repeatedly ask, "Then what?" Continue this inquiry until you break down each fear to its core. This process helps in understanding the true nature of your fears. It’s important to note the biology of fear stems from the amygdala. This part of the brain plays a crucial role in fear processing. According to our smart scientists when a fearful stimulus is detected, the amygdala is activated and initiates the body's fight-or-flight response releasing stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, preparing the body for a rapid response. That is why when some says its all in the mind, because well it is, more specifically the almond-shaped?structure inside of your brain.

In addition, how we perceive and learn about a threat is significant! Past experiences, cultural background, and knowledge can shape how we perceive fear. Which makes sense why everyone in the village is scared of snakes! Just kidding! I think? Irrational Fears and Phobias can become disconnected from the reality of the threat, leading to phobias and anxiety disorders. If you want to go down the path of Transformation Leadership then I would recommend working on any fears or anxieties around interacting and engaging with a myriad of people.

Step 4: Decide on a Response Strategy

Once you have a clear understanding of each fear, decide how to deal with it. Options include accepting the fear, mitigating it, transferring it, or avoiding it altogether. A common behaviour that I love, and hold dear to my little old heart with no shame! Avoid the feared object, situation, or environment. Honestly, it causes peace if you ask me. Or, you might be in the agro camp causing a more aggressive reaction as a defensive mechanism.

On a serious note, it important to understand your responses to fear and channel a more positive response to the fear you have, assuming it’s not life threatening. In the context of using this for part of your change project initiation, having a workshop around the responses to the fears is a great way to ensure that you cover all your basis.

Step 5: Develop a Fearless Action Plan

Create a plan to tackle your fears, setting short, medium, or long-term goals. When fear becomes overwhelming, persistent, and disruptive to daily life, it may be classified as a phobia or anxiety disorder. Get treatments include psychotherapy methods such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), exposure therapy, and medication to manage symptoms. There is no shame in getting help and I strongly suggest this so you can enjoy a wholesome existence on this earth.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, for all of us our fight or flight response is an automatic physiological reaction to a perceived harmful event, attack, or threat to survival. We are hard wired to survive as such we are hard wired to take the less risky path. Appreciating how fear can influence behaviours in everyday life, from personal decision-making to social interactions and collective behaviour in societies is important first step. So instead of looking at the exercise as having no fear, look at is as fearing less.

To learn more register as a learner on T4L--> Registration Form and check out Transformation Leaders Podcast, Shameless

Good luck!