What You Primarily Manage Is Fear

Fear is what you primarily manage as a leader - yours and others. NOTE: I am not talking about diagnosed anxiety disorders or life threatening situations of immanent harm or foul play. I am addressing the daily experiences of fear that knock us off course and keep us from our goals and potential.

"Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”

―?Frank Herbert,?Dune

The power of fear is in capturing attention. When you fear snakes and even a small, harmless Garter snake slithers by all your senses are stimulated and you fixate on the presence of the object of fear. It takes possession of you simply by being present. Previous experiences have encoded a pattern of behavior that is ignited afresh. This is what Herbert calls the "mind-killer." Thought and higher functioning shut down when fear takes control.

How then do we manage fear?

1. "I will face my fear..." Fear is designed to make us aware of danger. But like an overly vigilant watchdog, much of its barking is about squirrels, not assailants. Facing fear means in the midst of it you assess the situation. "Is there real danger?" "What has just captured my attention?" "Why are my senses activated?" If the answer is the equivalent of squirrels, then note the situation and log it as something to give some thought to later. "Why do my defenses go up when this happens?" is often a fruitful thought to explore.
2. "I will permit.." Fear demands, but in reality, it doesn't have the power to possess our will. We retain that authority. However, it is often an undeveloped muscle. We learn helplessness in the presence of fear because we have failed in previous confrontations. So when fear presents itself, we cave. This is where the habit of daily silence and breath work to empower a different response. Knowing that you can remain calm, gives you the ability to note and observe the fear without ceding control. It is like the weather passing by as you sit safe in a stable place.
3. "And when it is gone.." Fear runs its course - often pretty quickly; faster when we refuse to get enmeshed in it. Once the emotion has passed is when we can plot and plan on a response to the genuine danger it exposes. Once, years ago, I stumbled upon a secret meeting about me. Fear gripped me, but I took a walk around the block, came back calmed and was able to intervene in a way that produced positive change. Had I not taken that few minutes to let the fear pass, I'm sure I would have reacted poorly, rather than with appropriate resolve.
4. "I will remain..." You will survive; fear will pass and you will survive. This is both encouraging in the midst of the challenge and also inspiring. That the true you will endure is cause to make decisions in the moment for that self which will persevere. "What can I do now that my future self will be proud of?"

Managing your fear enables you to help others face and overcome theirs as well. Fear may be the mind-killer, but to those who persevere in facing it, what it leaves behind is confidence and wisdom.