6 Ways to Keep Fear Out of Your Business

Set the tone
You... set the tone. You, as the leader, set the tone. Every word, every email, every silence, every smile... creates the environment for those in your organization. It's true for everyone, too. But as a leader your impact is much greater.

Be sure to set the proper tone, a tone of enthusiasm, commitment, integrity, passion, accountability.

And, on those days when you find yourself merely mortal and unable to sustain the emotions to lead in a positive way... and it happens... take time to take care of yourself. A 'mental health' hour, a walk, an extra cup of coffee... a call to a friend, family, partner, advisor... can often help to resume your leadership by example. Be sure to reach out. It adds meaning to others. Everyone has at times depended on this same network of trusted supporters.

Humor
Laughter is our great advantage as a species. The ability to laugh is the ability to keep perspective. It is the tool that often lets us persevere in desperate situations.

Laughter and humor can keep the spirits high, the ideas flowing, the cooperation growing.

And, at the same time, these are serious times. George Carlin, Larry the Cable Guy or Wanda Sykes... at every meeting will be unproductive.

Share the goods
Share the story, the full story, of our company with everyone in the company. The full story includes opportunities, challenges, setbacks, failures and reminders.

Reminders are important in times of challenge and stress. Companies fail completely when their memory is lost; they forget their purpose, who they are, what they stood for, why they matter. Once they forget... whose job is it to remember? Certainly not the customers or the vendors and partners.
And, fear begins to arise in the gaps where memory is lost.

Challenges, setbacks and failures are where the opportunities reside. It’s also where your stars will shine.

As a leader, it’s where your star shines. You see clearly, clearer, and concretely, more concretely the path here. This is also the area of uncertainty. Uncertainty is the breeding ground for... fear. Let the stars shine, show the way, all the way through and your fears disappear.

Listen, listen, listen
Ok, sure you may not be afraid. You may be excited about the opportunities made possible with your competitors’ demise.

But, that’s you.

Not everyone will see the glass half full. 

Sharing your excitement is at best meaningless, and at worst destructive, until you hear, recognize and acknowledge the fears of others. With that understanding you can better communicate your vision of the future and connect it with today’s concerns. That includes a plan to move from here to the future that’s believable, inspiring and engaging.

Connect, connect, connect
In a time of greater uncertainty, like... today... it’s even more imperative you connect what people do with what goals are accomplished. Everyone needs to understand what they contribute.

Sure, the sales guy closed a big deal. But, could he have done it without the IT guy keeping the network up and running and the sales guy’s desktop running?

Sure, customers are happy but would they be happy without finance and billing delivering accurate invoices, handling payments precisely and reporting exact statements on time?

If you connect, connect, connect, you make meaning, meaning, meaning for those who deliver your brand’s meaning to others: customers.

Document, document, document 
This will be a time of great ideas, solutions, and cooperation. Heroes will be born. Stars will shine. These will become part of the corporate memory you will share in the future.

It’s also a time when uncertainty, fear, reluctance to change, territorial battles, infighting, silo-mentalities, stubbornness, refusal to change... Both need to be documented, openly and transparently. The former to celebrate and recognize. The latter to remove quickly with knowledge, data, discussion, support, coaching and removal as needed.

6  ways to keep fear out of your business.