How to Make Friends with Fear (Episode 5 of “How Do I Lead Now?”)

Posted in Coaching as a way of life

Episode 5 of our Video Coaching Series: “How Do I Lead Now?” is here! This week, Cylient CEO and Master Certified Coach Dianna Anderson talks more specifically about how to make friends with fear, how fear shows up for you, and what questions you need to ask yourself to address those fears.

Last week, Dianna talked about practical approaches for helping people navigate through their fear. Fear is personal to each of us—it can show up in many ways. This week, Dianna walks through what kinds of fears you may be experiencing now, with all the change that we’ve been through in the past few months. Broadly, fear can show up in your life in two different categories:

Head-Based Fears: These fears typically come from being afraid of losing control in some way. Since your routine has changed so much, notice where you aren’t in alignment as much as you were before. Then ask yourself: Do you have the right resources to address this fear? Do you have the kinds of relationships you need to address this? Do you have the skills that you need now? These questions are guiding you to find out what you believe matters most right now.

Heart-Based Fears: These are more about honoring yourself to show up fully as who and what you truly are. It’s possible that you have concerns about yourself or your leadership. You might need to look at your self-care routine to see if anything has shifted recently. What new habits do you need to create for yourself to show up in a more centered place?

Reflection Questions

Watch the video for more details on how fear shows up for you. Then, reflect upon these things:

Notice: Where is fear showing up in your life?
Where do you feel out of alignment?
Is it a heart-based fear or a head-based fear, and what do you need to do differently after recognizing it?

Other Episodes of “How Do I Lead Now?”

Watch other episodes with the links below.

Episode 1: The difference between traditional leadership approaches and coaching-based leadership
Episode 2: What kind of leader do I need to be now?
Episode 3: How to meet people where they are
Episode 4: How to coach someone through fear
Episode 5: How to make friends with fear
Episode 6: Why the questions we ask and answer for ourselves really matter
Episode 7: Why intentions work better than goals now
Episode 8: Understanding and appreciating worldviews
Episode 9: What to say when you don’t know what to say
Episode 10: Using traditional and coaching-based leadership together
Episode 11: How to coach people to build confidence
Episode 12: Discerning patterns as a leadership skill
Episode 13: How to create change in complex situations
Episode 14: The problem with perfection