Stay Cool, But Don’t Freeze
By: Andy Fry, Coach & Director of Operations, Renogize Professional Coaching
What scares you? If you are like me (and most humans) it is fear of the unknown. What was that bump I heard downstairs? How much is this procedure going to cost? Why does this person look so angry? When we experience fear, our bodies give us a shot of adrenaline, and how we respond to it is incredibly important as leaders.
A typical response to adrenaline is to fight. These are the people that will want to punch the circus clown in the face. The unhealthy leader will seek to control the situation forcefully, alienating not only those involved, but also the innocent bystanders who witness the verbal or physical onslaught. Among other obvious problems with this reaction, it is important to note that not everything that scares us is evil or even our enemy. On the flipside, an emotionally intelligent leader will protect others and stand up for what they feel is right without leaving a wake of carnage.
A second response to adrenaline from a perceived threat is to run from it. My oldest son fits the bill here perfectly. When he was younger, you couldn’t catch him if he heard lightning, or if someone came to the door. The unhealthy leader will flee from the thought of something being scary, putting off the problem. “Those that choose to run away can live to run away another day.” The healthy leader, however, can properly assess the threat and decide if it is a battle worth facing at that time.
There is a third response to fear that is common. Some people freeze. Freezing has the potential to be the most detrimental to leaders. Whether voluntary or involuntary, their inaction allows the perceived threat to run its course, for good or ill. This puts leaders, and their teams, in extremely vulnerable positions.
One exercise in increasing your self-awareness, a pillar of emotional intelligence, is to face your emotions head on through introspection. What is causing this reaction? Why do I feel this way? An interesting byproduct, simply by looking intently at their responses, most people’s emotional intelligence increases. They haven’t even started to address anything yet!
Before you can act, you will have to do a self-assessment. Then, and only then, will you be able to make appropriate changes. How do you respond to fear? What are the negative repercussions of your response? To quote one of my favorite cartoons as a child: “Now you know. And knowing is half the battle!”
