Fear: What's holding you back?

There has been a recent rash of airplane and helicopter accidents in the news. In fact, there is a term that is used for such fear: aerophobia. Aerophobia is an extreme fear of flying in an airplane. People with aerophobia may be scared about different aspects of flying, such as takeoff, landing or getting locked in the plane. It is very common, affecting more than 25 million adults in the United States. Most people with aerophobia aren’t afraid of the plane crashing. Instead, they fear the anxiety that comes with being on the plane. The anticipation of flying or thinking about flying is often as troubling as being on the flight itself.

Aerophobia is most common in people between the ages of 17 and 34. This is a time in life when significant changes occur, such as graduation, marriage or childbirth. People may be scared that flying jeopardizes their life at such an important time. It is possible for people to fly for years without anxiety and then develop aerophobia.

What triggers it? Triggers might be news stories about terrorism, crashes or violence on airplanes, takeoff and landing, thoughts about illness spreading through the plane, or turbulence. There was a famous national sports caster that traveled to the NFL game that he broadcasted by bus due to this! And believe it or not, flight attendants are even trained to give oxygen to passengers who have panic attacks.

Our lives are full of fear and loaded with anxieties and phobias. There are a lot of uncertainties in life and especially in the business world. I would say that the five that I see as most common are: fear of failure, fear of uncertainty, fear of financial instability, fear of rejection and fear of success.

The thought of failing is enough to completely paralyze even the most ambitious individuals. I have seen it in many of my clients. No one likes the idea of embarrassment, financial loss or wasted time and effort. But here is the truth: failure is the proving ground for successful business leaders. Think about Steve Jobs or Elon Musk. They failed before they succeeded.

Sometimes business leads us to leap into the unknown. Will my idea gain traction? Uncertainty creates doubt and doubt can lead to being paralyzed. I call the fear of financial instability the bank account blues. The thought of running the bank account low or going into debt leads many potentially successful businesspeople tethered to the status quo.

Whether it is customer, partner or team member rejection, it stings. The fear of hearing "no" can stop great businesspeople from asking for funding or launching a new product or service. But you say—fear of success, are you kidding? No, I am not. What if success changes my relationships? What if I can’t maintain momentum? What if it overwhelms my life?

So how do executives overcome these fears? Reframe failure as feedback. Each setback is a data point teaching you what doesn’t work. Embrace uncertainty as part of the journey. Be a problem solver and view each unknown as an opportunity. Learn to pivot, adapt and stay curious. In this uncertain world that we live in, agility is your superpower. Plan finances meticulously and explore all financing options. Set budgets and set aside reserves. Rejection is about fit and timing. Starbucks faced countless rejections. Take each rejection as a steppingstone to further refinement. And define your version of success early on. Is it impacting your profession? Is it maintaining work-life balance? Is it financial freedom? In other words, these are all a mindset shift just like overcoming aerophobia.

Speaking of mindset shifts, there is one that has been around for thousands of years. Recently, I heard a song in the car. The lyrics that caught my ear were, “I sought the Lord and he heard and he answered me.” This comes from Scripture which says, "I sought the Lord, and he heard and delivered me from all my fears.” The next verse in that Psalm says, “They looked to him and were radiant.” How different would our lives be today if God himself replaced all our fears with radiance? Have you asked Him to?

Finally, this is a special day. Thank you to all veterans. Your service and sacrifice allow all the rest of us to go about our lives in peace—without fear. Thank you.