Leadership doesn't mean fearlessness

There's a misunderstanding about what Leadership is and what Leadership isn't.

Leadership doesn't mean that you won't be afraid anymore when doing a presentation or having an important meeting.

.It doesn't mean you won't have any anxiety or panic-attack anymore
.It doesn't mean you will become this stoic rock on face of adversity
.It doesn't mean that you become suddenly fearless and stress-free

On the contrary…

Being a leader means being present with whatever is.

Leadership means feeling your emotions.

The good
The bad

The fear
The stress
The anxiety

It means that not only you feel them,
.You remain present
.You acknowledge them
.You leave them the space they need

The more I move forward in my journey to leadership, in my professional and personal world, the more I actually feel those emotions.

.I’m still afraid
.I still feel anxious
.I still get overwhelmed
.I still burn out when not prioritizing

Before, I would bury those negative emotions because they scared me.

I would avoid them at all cost
I would try my best not to feel them

I became so detached, I didn’t feel myself anymore.

Now, after many years of work learning to feel again, they still scare and annoy me, but I'm not trying to ignore them anymore.

I'm trying to feel them and give them space.

It's not easy
It's actually incredibly hard

And I'm not 100% there yet, but I'm trying.

Your emotions are here for a reason, embrace them.

Or at least, take notice.
They're here for your own good.

Remember:
Be gentle to yourself. You’re doing your best.

What about you? How do you deal with your negative emotions?

Let me know,
Jean

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