Fear gives power to one person; Freedom empowers many. When we are fearful, our reaction is to control. This actually limits the multiplication of our power. Being controlling gives a false sense of feeling safe and soothing our anxiety. In the long run it hurts our impact and hinders the empowerment of those we lead.
What is motivating your leadership – fear or freedom? Our mindsets will ultimately drive how we behave. How we lead others flows from how we lead ourselves, which is based on our self-image and love. These are mindsets that impact how we view our self and others. Here are some common mindsets connected to fear and freedom:
| Fear | Freedom |
| My worth is based on how I perform | I am enough in who I am |
| Those who fail deserve to be punished | Failure is an opportunity to learn |
| I see problems | I see possibilities |
| Perfectionism keeps me safe | Moving in clarity over correctness promotes innovation |
| I direct others to accomplish in my own way | I empower others to accomplish in their own way |
| Living by what is known | Living by faith |
| I see others as objects to control | I see others as bringing value and potential to release |
| I live in in trepidation | I live in anticipation |
Review the above list
Which statements resonate most with you? Do you have other statements of fear or freedom that you would add? Which ones do you want to change or keep?
Review your emotional state
Our mindsets lead to emotions and behaviors. As leaders, we always live in the tension of the now and moving into the vision of the future. Reflect on your emotional state and what it is saying to you:
- With this tension, do you live mostly in anxiety or a sense of inner peace?
- With challenges, are you easily angered or remain calm?
- Do you feel low or high confidence?
- Do you feel apathy or energy?
Review your behaviors
If you struggle to name the emotions, you might more easily recognize behaviors:
- Do you move and interact with others at a frantic pace and demeanor?
- Are you harsh and disrespectful to others in words or actions?
- Are you passive in speaking or hide your presence with others?
What other emotions or behaviors do you see in yourself? Would you want to change any of them?
Emotions and behaviors are like indicator lights on a car. With a car, indicator lights help us to be aware, question and seek help for something internally going on with our vehicle. As leaders, we need to be paying attention to our behaviors and emotions. We need time to reflect to be aware, ask ourselves questions and seek help to understand what is going on internally for us.
Internally, we have mindsets with assumptions and interpretations that impact our effectiveness. It is of high value and importance to have time to take care of our internal selves. We need to be intentional with our mindsets so that we are intentional in how we live and lead.