Fear. I chatted with a bunch of scared leaders last week. They may not be that scared anymore, though. What happened? Well, stick around here a bit. The story is one and a quarter pages…
First, I’m not in any way fantasizing on giving a conclusive exploration of the subject of FEAR. I’m only sharing what I learnt last week as I interacted with a group of leaders… who seemed scared.
Although fear has different triggers for these individuals, all of them acknowledged that fear was negatively impacting their personal effectiveness, success and significance.
The twist in the discussion was when the leaders felt that their influence was not necessarily supposed to be limited to just a small circle of individuals they are faithfully serving now. They believed that from childhood, they have nurtured a deep desire to significantly impact the masses. But FEAR of the ‘big stage’ and its must-have responsibilities held them back.
At this point, each of the leaders at the table acknowledged that they are settling for less and failing to come out to the big platform to influence masses. And something needed to be done to tame this fear.
They observed that they had to start with their thinking. These leaders were not holding a balanced view of significance. In their well-meaning modesty, they wrongly believed that to touch a few lives is to be effective. While this may be true for some, the case of these leaders is the contrary. In renewing their mind, they acknowledged that it’s right and fitting for those who seek to influence the masses, to step out and be free to impact as many lives as God permits them to.
Fear, we observed, can also be confronted by a focus on personal vision. What vision have you cherished all these years? Very few of us will say that their life’s purpose is to touch just a ‘small’ number of lives.
This understanding that your life’s purpose calls you to touch a community, a country, a continent, etc. should be the initial panacea for your fear to move out. YOUR PURPOSE TRUMPS YOUR FEARS. How big is your purpose?
I learnt, as I chatted with these friends, that to impact, especially at the wider stage, requires you the leader to brand yourself well. Who are you? Who knows you? What do they know you for? What need are you solving? What value are you bringing to the table?
The sad observation was that many of the ‘dreamers’ are not able to achieve big because of fear…of all sorts. And, the leaders shared deep personal fears…
One person shared that they fear to be exposed for what is lacking in them, yet they preach the same quality before others. This person has not yet attained the resources to achieve what they know should have been achieved already. And they fear that - this gap may affect their ‘influence’.
This leader was encouraged to carefully consider the ‘many’ available options at their disposal to grow them in the ‘desirable’ position. The position where they would live their purpose. They were also encouraged to partner with others who already have what is missing in the vision bearer.
Still, this leader was encouraged to focus on their strengths more, and ‘show’ others the value they bring when others join them on this journey of significance. The leader was also encouraged not to amplify the system’s or society’s perception of them, but to constantly return to what they believe is true about life, success and significance. Remembering that, even for the leader, it’s a JOURNEY …
In other words, you can still lead even as you perfect your service position. No one has it all together at any one time.
Another person’s fear was to ‘fly’ and then ‘fall’ and ‘crash’. This person believes that they are not ready for the call to step out. They fear that the world will think that they were not good enough in the first place; but mere pretenders.
This leader was asked to establish what the “reasonable minimum level of preparedness” for the task ahead is. The acknowledgment was that every calling requires a certain level of competence. And this must never be compromised. Have you met that minimum requirement for the task? If ‘yes’, then move out. Do it now. The goal is to come out now, and to do the big thing you were created to do, NOW.
