3 Ways to Overcome Fear of Failure in Leadership

           Some Leaders fall short of achieving desired results because they allow the fear of failure to stagnate progress. Fear is crippling because it initiates a cycle that leads to inactivity and insufficiency of the skills needed to obtain what you desire. This then leads to more fear and the cycle repeating itself.

The way to break the cycle and gain strength is to jump out of this vicious fear cycle early on. Eleanor Roosevelt says “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face.”

Here are 3 things you can do to “gain strength, courage and confidence” and move forward with pursuing your goals:

1.) Name Your Fear – When you admit your fear, you deflate its power! When you name your fear, you remove the confusion over what is causing your fear in the first place.

2.) Figure out WHY you have developed this fear. Did something go wrong? Did someone say something to you that was discouraging? Do you think you’re not talented or gifted enough to accomplish your goals? Getting to your “WHY” will lead you to “HOW” you can break out of the cycle.

3.) Replace the images of fear with images of Power! Fear can have such a powerful grip on your mind that it will cause you to be absolutely consumed with it. Realize that you have the power to control your thoughts. Memorize a mantra or inspirational quote and every time the feelings of fear creep into your mind, repeat this over and over until it becomes the controlling thought. Napoleon Hill, in his best seller “Think and Grow Rich”, states it best when he says, “Each of us is what we are because of the dominating thoughts we permit to occupy our minds” That’s POWERFUL and very much true! When you leverage the power of shutting down negative thoughts with positive affirmation, you create a door of opportunity to break out of that dreaded Cycle of Fear!

What Fear do you have today that is inhibiting you from the Leadership success you desire?

– Dr. April

Dr. Carmen April’s Speaker Series

        This post is part of a series on Leadership presented by Dr. Carmen April. She is a young entrepreneur and community leader recognized as a 2013 Nashville Business Journal Top 40 Under Forty Award Recipient and is currently a 2014 New Leaders Council Fellow – Nashville Chapter.  Dr. April is available for speaking engagements Entrepreneurship for college students and young professionals.