Be A Fearless Leader

Historically, one of the main tools leaders have used is fear. The boss is someone to be feared. Most employees don’t want to make the boss mad, get in trouble, or worse yet, get fired. Fear can produce results fast but at what cost?

When humans experience a threat or fear response, the blood flow is literally cut off from the prefrontal cortex. Without blood flow, that part of the brain does not work. The prefrontal cortex is the place in the brain where reason and all other conscious cognitive functions occur. It is also the place in the brain where trust resides.

When people are experiencing fear, the blood is rerouted to an area called the reactive brain that is located at the base of the brain. This is the area of the brain associated with the classic “fight or flight” concept. It is the part of the brain that helps us stay alive and safe. It is also instinctive in nature, and this process happens at a subconscious level.

Know if you choose fear, you are choosing to lower trust. In Google’s massive Aristotle Project that set out to determine what makes teams effective, the number one factor was psychological safety. It is important to note that there was no correlation between “who” was on the team and team effectiveness. You heard that right. Team effectiveness had nothing to do with the talent level of individual team members or those members’ past accomplishments.

Fear is the number one enemy of trust and, ultimately, psychological safety. If you want long-term sustainable results, be a fearless leader that creates psychological safety.

Our DRYVE Leadership System is a comprehensive approach to engaging your team, minimizing fear, and building trust.

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