Business owners wear many hats—especially if the business is new and small. Accounting, sales, project management, and communicating with clients all falls on the shoulders of the person in charge. All of these moving parts can make for some pretty serious obstacles, both for the leader and the team. There can be a lot of fear involved in running a business, especially when things aren’t going well. Maybe you’ve lost your biggest client or sales have dipped to an alarming low. Whatever the situation, fear is likely to show up. Fear is normal, but what happens when fear begins to take over is when the real problem begins. For many people, fear can block creativity channels, making it hard to come up with solutions and innovative ideas. But, there are ways to navigate through fear, making it possible to practice good leadership amidst serious situations.
The next time you sense fear taking over, consider using these techniques to move through it:
Recognize the feeling of fear
Fear can feel different to each person. It’s important to reflect on how fear shows up in your body. Do you feel it in your gut? In your shoulders? Your throat? When you identify what fear feels like, it’s easier to know when you might be acting out in response to it. When this happens, it’s crucial to slow down, acknowledge the fear, and practice courage to keep moving forward and making decisions based on strategy and innovation, not fear and worry.
Know how you want to respond
Navigating fear while trying to run a business and practice good leadership for your team members is probably one of the hardest things a business owner will learn to do. When you acknowledge your own fear, remember to slow down and think about your next steps. Your team members are watching you and using the decisions you make as a guideline for what’s expected of them in the same types of situations. Use communication as a way to build up your team, and reiterate expectations while acknowledging the difficult situation.
Embrace creativity
While it can be difficult to practice creativity in a time of fear, its crucial when it comes to finding a solution. Give your team the permission to be creative, nothing is off limits, no idea is a bad one. When your team feels free to explore boundaries and practice creative approaches to solving problems, you’re much more likely to find a solution that works.
Is fear getting in your way? If it is, our team at Quadrivium Advisors can help! Connect with us here.