Blog

On a particularly long car journey recently, I was listening to a TED radio hour podcast and came across an interview with Jane Poynter, a scientist who took part in the Biosphere 2 experiment in the early 1990s.

What if I were to tell you that there are leaders missing in your organisation? That there are voices, ideas, opinions and talent that are unheard and unseen?

“We think we are experiencing reality but what we are really experiencing is our thinking.” Michael Neill

As talented individuals progress through their career, there is often an expectation that they will transition seamlessly from management to leadership.

Yet what has helped these individuals become good managers is not what they need as leaders.

“Freedom from fear enables you to do so much more.” Director, Social Business

When we talk about fear in leadership, so often it is with reference to the imposition of fear from above, often a domineering CEO using fear as a tool of control.

Do you find yourself wanting to make things “just so” before you allow them into the world, whether an email, a presentation, a proposal? Or perhaps you’re holding back from approaching a key stakeholder until you’re “ready”? 

What if I were to tell you that there are leaders missing in your organisation? That there are voices, ideas, opinions and talent that are not showing up?
I’m not talking about a headcount issue or a rash of absenteeism. I’m talking about a powerful force that stops leaders from expressing themselves fully : fear.

Do you sometimes wonder why people can’t see right through you? That they’re bound to find out sooner or later that you’re only masquerading as a successful professional – you really haven’t got a clue what you’re doing?

Do you believe leaders need to know what they’re doing? That they need to get it right first time? Do you feel uncomfortable yourself when you don’t have all the answers?

Do you find it challenging to create time and space to think? Is your day a whirlwind of emails, meetings, calls and unexpected demands? Do you reach the end of the day not having worked on what matters to you?