We’re all familiar with fear—fear of failure; fear of the unknown; fear of disappointing; for some, even fear of succeeding. Fear and being wrong are things we all understand, but seldom discuss.
But to become great leaders—to learn from our mistakes, take risks, and make great discoveries—we must learn to overcome fear and embrace the possibility of being wrong. That’s how leaders and organizations become creative and powerful.
Fear and Fearlessness
For leaders of organizations, the stakes are high. In Lucia Tarbajovska’s Berlin School of Creative Leadership thesis Fear Factor, she found that nearly 90 percent of the creative leaders she surveyed acknowledged that fear is a critical factor influencing the ways they make decisions, which ultimately influences creativity.
Inasmuch as these experiences and emotions of fear live deep inside of us, they also live deep inside organizations. Left ignored, they will ultimately drive an organization or brand toward mediocrity. As Tarbajovska says, “Most leaders are under a constant pressure of fear of failure that ultimately locks them in a routine and pushes them to comfort zones, to consensus, to mediocre decisions.”
Differentiation
It’s not just general fear that drives us—it’s the fear to differentiate. According to Tarbajovska, we are much more comfortable staying within the norms of society and the norms of the competition because we’re constantly surrounded by signals that this is the right and appropriate thing to do. In many cases, it is also the easiest and most straightforward approach. As one creative leader Tarbajovska interviewed put it, “We can observe a total lack of guts to stand out and be unique. [Advertising’s] culture today is the result of massive leveling processes that brand and marketing [executives] started in the ’80s and ’90s… I guess the fear to differentiate is as old as humankind itself.”
A Culture of Courage
For leaders, the challenge is not just overcoming their own fear, but also creating a culture of courage in the organizations they lead. It’s about leading a team or an organization in which all members of that system live the values of fighting fear. That is an ongoing challenge that leaders at every level of an organization need to address. Embracing the values of fighting fear means consistently being courageous, avoiding complacency, and taking risks that can lead to mistakes and failure—but also longer-term success.
