How to remove blocks — and the fear of failure

Blocks are what keep people from acting on their hunches or instincts because they’re afraid to fail.

As we explored in previous posts, fear of failure is catabolic Level 2 victim energy, which can turn a leader into a bully who “rules” by fear and intimidation. Not surprisingly, Level 2 leaders run companies that tend to have high employee turnover and lackluster sales. 

“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.” — Henry Ford

By their very nature, blocks are catabolic, stopping people from taking action and solving problems. Before we begin to tackle how to remove blocks, let’s explore what they are and how they work. 

There are two types of blocks:

External blocks

External blocks are easy to identify and make decisions around. They’re things like: 

• Money: “I don’t have enough money.”
• Time: “I need more time.”
• Distance: “It’s going to take me too long to reach my goal.”

These blocks are subject to change from moment to moment, which means you have to stay aware and be agile to take them on. 

Internal blocks

Internal blocks are subtler; they’re not as easy to spot and overcome as external blocks as they tend to be longstanding and deeply rooted. They’re things like: 

• Limiting beliefs: Not personal — but truths that you’ve accepted about the world around you and how you relate to it.
• Assumptions: Beliefs formed from personal experience.
• Misinterpretations: Opinions or judgments that you believe to be true.
• Gremlins ??  : The deepest block you can have. Gremlins are the internal critics that tell you that you’re not smart, good, strong, worthy, experienced — you name it — enough. 

Gremlins are emotionally charged and thrive on fear. They keep you from trying new things and making progress; when Gremlins whisper, you give up. If you’re human, you have Gremlins; only when you expose them and question their existence can you break free from their power. Once the Gremlin is faced, you can then replace its voice with one that’s more empowering and rooted in reality.

Case study: FedEx

Limiting belief: No one thought it would be possible to compete with the mail system for express delivery — until FedEx came along. As a result, other companies now rule industries once thought impossible to disrupt.

When internal blocks are in play, it can be hard to make decisions. Often, they’re the result of poor planning or the result of a series of decisions that served you in the short term but will fail you in the long run. 

Case study: Jim Abbott, former MLB pitcher

Assumption: Despite being born without a right hand, pitcher Jim Abbott went on to play ten seasons for the California Angels, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, and Milwaukee Brewers. He overcame the assumption that his “handicap” meant that he couldn’t ever play baseball. 

By conquering his block, Jim Abbott went on to be one of 23 pitchers, out of thousands of pitchers throughout history, to pitch a perfect game. He proves that overcoming blocks can lead to extraordinary results. 

Here’s another real-life scenario: Let’s say you and your staff have a booth at a trade show. You hope for lots of traffic and engagement, but the results end up being disappointing. When asked to participate in the next show, you decline as you expect the results to be the same. But what if you examined why it didn’t work out? There are many reasons — location, lighting, training, marketing materials, etc. — why the booth might not have lived up to expectations. By jumping to an immediate assumption that it’s not going to work, you miss the opportunity to examine what happened and how you could improve — and get the results you want — for next time. Assumptions that are made time and time again limit companies and negatively impact team energy.

When we work with clients, we actively listen for key phrases that signal that a block is in play. Clients may say things like, “I tried that before” or “that’s not for me.” Acting as investigators, we ask open questions like, “Tell me what didn’t work?” and “What about this situation doesn’t align with you?” 

When challenged by a task or situation, ask yourself: “How true is this for me anyway?” It will force you to reflect and then act accordingly.

It takes self-awareness to recognize blocks and see what they’re trying to teach you. Through one-on-one coaching, we can help you get to the epiphany, the inspiring “aha” moment, where suddenly your reality, and how you approach it, is radically different.

The more aware you are of your blocks, internal or external, the easier it will be to eliminate them, further raising your energy level and paving the way for positive action and sustained success. Through an Energy Leadership Assessment with one of our coaches, we can help you to identify and remove your blocks and create a custom plan to help you get the results you want.

We’re excited to share more of our stories, insights, and coaching practices with you each month. You can subscribe here to get our newsletter or follow us on Facebook and Instagram, on Twitter @rockspringcoach, and on LinkedIn for real-time updates. You can also check out more of our videos here.

Dr. David Kaplowitz is the President and Head Coach of Rock Spring Coaching. David earned his dual certification as a Certified Professional Coach (CPC) and an Energy Leadership Index? Master Practitioner (ELI-MP) through iPEC, and also holds the credential of Professional Certified Coach (PCC) through the International Coach Federation. David formerly built and ran a successful Chiropractic practice from the late ’70s through the early 2000s. Through innovative advertising and marketing strategies, he promoted his business to an astonishing pace of 100+ patients a day. 

Like what you’ve read and want to learn more? You can get in touch with David to schedule an Energy Leadership assessment, or an individual, executive, or group coaching session, book David for a workshop, or have him speak at your conference or event.