“All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: It was the willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and not much else, is the essence of Leadership” — John Kenneth Galbraith

Anxiety is “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.”

You encounter anxiety many times every day. It might be in traffic, a meeting, or as you’re hitting the publish button on a post (like this one). The uncertainty of doing something causes anxiety.

Leaders confront anxiety

As a leader, you will be called on to face anxiety every day. You will have to face the anxieties created by your own experience. You will also be called on to face the anxieties of the people you lead.

Facing anxiety is uncomfortable. Our normal human response is to try and escape or feel better about the anxiety. We do this through laying blame, making excuses or a number of other mindsets.

Instead of trying to feel better about the situation, focus your energy on moving through the anxiety. You might just be amazed by what becomes possible when you don’t run from anxiety!

You’ve got this!