Navigating Fear & Uncertainty

Fear is an unavoidable aspect of leadership. Often, it emerges from uncertainty: navigating the unknown, stepping outside of your comfort zone, or facing unforeseen risks that could derail your organization’s strategy. But fear is not a sign of weakness. If you’re not feeling it from time to time, you probably aren’t stretching and growing your organization.

This month, as we celebrate spooky season, we encourage you to embrace fear as a key part of leadership. Below are some practical strategies to move through feelings of fear and uncertainty.

How Great Leaders Take On Uncertainty, TEDWomen Presents

Anjali Sud, CEO of Vimeo, shares how great leaders managed a diverse workforce through a global pandemic, racial reckoning, and uncertain return to the office, as well as tackling changing workforce dynamics and the challenging future of work. Her solution to uncertainty is to lead with humanity and flexibility, acknowledging your fear, embracing the discomfort, and using it as a tool to connect with and inspire your team. After all, leadership is about guiding others through the unknown, not pretending the unknown doesn’t exist.

The Three Fears that Make Us Reluctant to Act as Leaders, University of Michigan, Ross School of Business

According to research from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, leaders often experience three types of reputational fears:

• Being seen as bossy. Many leaders worry about coming across as pushy or domineering.
• Seeming different. Leadership can create a sense of isolation, making you feel different from others.
• Appearing unqualified. Imposter syndrome often makes leaders question their own competence, fearing others will perceive them as inadequate.

Rising Above Fear and Leading With Courage and Confidence, Forbes

Kiran Mann of the Forbes Coaches Council offers five strategies to move through fear:

1. Understand the source of the fear. Understanding your emotions is the first step to challenging and reframing your mindset.
2. Build self-confidence. Confidence isn’t about knowing everything—it’s about trusting your ability to learn, adapt, and lead.
3. Take calculated risks. As a leader, you’ll regularly face the unknown, but rather than letting that paralyze you, consider taking calculated risks.
4. Practice effective and transparent communication. Open communication is key to reducing fear and building trust. Encourage your team to express concerns and actively address them.
5. Practice self-care. Leadership is demanding, and ignoring your wellbeing only amplifies fear and stress. Prioritize self-care, whether through exercise, meditation, or hobbies that enable you to lead with clarity and resilience.

The Practice of Adaptive Leadership, Harvard Business Press

Managing your emotions is only part of the equation. Time, practice, and a toolkit of leadership skills will help you through the moments of fear and uncertainty. Our expert facilitators at Potrero Group teach and practice adaptive leadership skills to help organizations navigate and find solutions to complex problems.

Thank You for Attending Our Open Board Search Webinar

We want to thank all those who attended our recent webinar “Going Public: Why and How You Should Upend Your Board Recruitment Process” led by Potrero Group’s Managing Director of Consulting, Daniel Student. Making an open, public call for board recruitment doesn’t have to be scary. Learn how Potrero Group has successfully supported many organizations through board search.

Read more about our approach >

Don’t Lead Alone Audiobook Now Available

Our book Don’t Lead Alone: Think Like a System, Act Like a Network, Lead Like a Movement by Cleveland Justis, Potrero Group Founder & Principal, and Daniel Student, Managing Director of Consulting, is now available on audiobook. For a limited time, both the audiobook and Kindle editions are available for $0.99.

Download Don’t Lead Alone on audiobook or Kindle >

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