Fear is something everybody, including the most formidable of leaders, must deal with at times in their lives. In my last post, I discussed how debilitating fear can be for leaders, as well as the impact it can have on teams and the company as a whole. It’s important for leaders to deal with their stress and fears in a healthy way that allows them to move forward and overcome challenges. But first, we must learn to recognize the signs of fear creeping up on us.
Recognize the Most Common Signs of Fear
Fear of failure has several telltale – and observable – signs. If you have a fear of failure you’re likely to set your ambitions either too low or too high, explains entrepreneurship expert Robert Kelsey, author of What’s Stopping You?: Why Smart People Don’t Always Reach Their Potential and How You Can (Capstone, 2012).
Goals set too low reflect a lack of self-confidence and a fear of achieving normal benchmarks, Kelsey explains in a 2012 CNN.com article.
Conversely, goals set too high serve as a mask for your insecurities. Failure is expected, as no one could possibly achieve these targets – which means there shouldn’t be any criticism. Liken it to an attempt to swim the English Channel in rough seas: no one is expected to accomplish it, so we bestow admiration on those who try, yet fail.
A second sign of fear of failure is a tendency to procrastinate as an avoidance tactic. If you can put off achieving a goal, you can also delay the dreaded failure. Look for unfounded hesitancy, second-guessing, and finding “reasons” to delay or alter plans.
There are Other Signs of Fear of Failure to Watch out for
University of Ottawa psychologist Timothy Pychyl describes research that shows a direct inverse correlation between people’s sense of autonomy, competence, relatedness, and vitality, and their tendency to procrastinate in a 2009 Psychology Today article.
Other signs of fear of failure include:
- A consistent pattern of indecision,
- Anxiety over risks or change,
- An excessive desire or attempt to control circumstances,
- An inability to delegate or trust others to perform tasks “correctly”,
- Perfectionism (often leading to micromanagement),
- An overriding fear of “things going wrong”,
- Obsessing over details, and
- Making sure everything is “just so”.
You Know the Signs of Fear, But now What?
Now that you know the signs of fear of failure, it’s time to take a step back and determine if this is something you might be struggling with. The key to being a good leader is to understand your fears, come to terms with them, and learn how to work past them. If you think fear of failure may be an issue for you, be sure to continue reading this blog series for tips on managing your fear.
Is fear of failure something you’ve struggled with in the past? Is it something you’ve managed to overcome? If so, I’d love to hear from you! I can be reached here or on LinkedIn.
