Fear can be self-fulfilling

#managing_yourself Being a leader in technology means wrestling with uncertainty while being held accountable for your projects. Naturally, fear sets in, but beware. It can be self-fulfilling.

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As leaders, we deal with significant uncertainty and responsibility. Our roles, by definition, are designed to leverage and coordinate the activities of our teams.

Unfortunately, this crucible of uncertainty and responsibility can cripple you with fear. The trouble with fear is that in the long run, it can be self-fulfilling.

Seneca observed as such when he said, "Many are harmed by fear itself, and many may have come to their fate while dreading fate."

When I find myself feeling uneasy and fearful, I try to remind myself of the potential long term destruction of such feelings. Ultimately, these feelings are a form of time travel. We're projecting realities that may never happen. What can we do to change the future? Worrying about it certainly won't help. What we can do is do our job and operate in the present. The activities we do right now is the only way to define the future.

What is the next step you need to take to make progress towards that future state you're hoping to be a reality one day? Take it. If you make a mistake, then change direction and try again. When you do this, you'll see something entirely different emerge - feelings of hope.