Fear is a two-edged sword

For the entrepreneur, fear is a two-edged sword. 

On the one edge it is fear of the unknown that motivates us to do our due-diligence before moving forward in a business deal.  It is fear of loss that drives us forward when our hope of gain has been completely exhausted. In this sense, if properly understood, fear can be a useful tool.

On the other edge of the blade, fear is an emotion that is hard to hide and very easy to pass on to others – particularly our employees.  When the boss comes through the door in the morning with “that worried look,” everyone in the building knows about it before their first cup of coffee.  Just as enthusiasm is contagious and encouraging, fear can become epidemic and debilitating to an otherwise healthy organization.

So what exactly do we do with our fears? 

The short answer is everything – and nothing. 

The everything includes giving ourselves permission to be people first, entrepreneurs second.  By that I mean we are whole personalities and we must recognize that everything that happens to us personally will affect us professionally in some way.  For this reason, it is critical that we maintain a healthy balance between our professional and personal lives.  Work hard – yes, play hard – yes, but play with family and friends that actively affirm us and refill our emotional fuel tanks on a regular basis. Healthy relationships are our best defense against allowing excessive fear into our lives.

The nothing is about learning to become more patient.  Since our own life experience teaches us that many if not most fears never actually materialize, with age and practice, we can learn to “not sweat the small stuff” so much.  We can also take courage that we have already built a history of overcoming difficult situations and bringing ourselves and our people through to victory. 

“Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.”
Psalm 23:4