"For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you." Isaiah 41:13

My wife often tells me that I worry too much about work. I sometimes fear losing my job. I fret about making my objectives. A terse email from my boss or a colleague can give me a feeling of approaching dread. I just know that those first morning emails will contain some problem that I probably should've anticipated or dealt with or done a better job of taking care of last week. Sometimes it seems that I can see a cloud behind every silver lining.

Does any of that sound familiar? Managerial fear causes us to freeze, make defensive decisions, spin the facts, confuse our teams and lose trust and confidence. 

We dream of doing great work, making sound decisions and supporting our teams. We want to live and lead fearlessly. However, fear may not be all bad. There are real risks in our world. We need courage and yes, some help to live and lead today. Leadership courage is not fearlessness; it is managing one's fears. Fortunately, courage can be learned and developed and God is in our corner.

Here are some ideas for developing leadership courage:

1. Identify when you are afraid. It's normal and part of our culture--English has twice the number of negative emotion words as positive emotion words. Be aware of the negative emotions that you feel and pause. Own those feelings.

2. Get in a positive frame of mind. The ANE prayer is a good way to start. Remind yourself that you are God's leader. Then, look at the facts from a positive perspective. Figure out what can be controlled and what you can do nothing about.

3. Collaborate with others. Get others views and insights. Ask God to "show you the pathways..." 

4. Press ahead! Take actions where you can. Model the calm, confident and connected leader you are. As leaders that's what our teams need from us.

How do you overcome fear in your work life? Don't be afraid to join our discussion this Tuesday morning at 7:30 AM EST.

ANE will host “Inspired Leadership in 30” phone calls:
Tuesday, March 3 at 7:30 am and Wednesday, March 4 at 8:00 pm.
Call in number: (712) 775-7031
Enter ID #: 251-410-597