Fearless: Leading and Talking Change

"Fearless is not the absence of fear. It's being completely unafraid. To me, fearless is having doubts. Lots of them. To me, fearless is living in spite of those things that scare to death."

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-Taylor Swift

 

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​To be a leader, you must have crucial but difficult conversations. While no one likes confrontational conversations, myself included, they must be had. I'm not going to lie: When I have any crucial or confrontational conversation, I get very anxious and nervous. But how will we ever have change occur in an organization? Leaders must be fearless in their role as they move forward with change. 

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​Opinions are going to vary, so that said, stakes are high. Going through the process of getting everything you want to say out in the open can be anxiety ridden for a leader. As a leader, I know that 1. Opinions vary and 2. Emotions run strong when crucial conversations need to be had in an organization (Patterson et al., 2012). I also know and am aware the change begins with myself, but I also know that everything begins with a dialogue to get what I want to say out in the open. As I begin with the dialogue, I need to begin with the heart and lead from that point. 

 

​Everyone will have their own opinions in a conversation, emotions will be high, and of course the stakes are high. However, we all need to be aware that whatever the outcome is, the impact will be huge on the relationship of the individual(s) and results will affect you, the leader, greatly. It is important to always have a clear and open mind when you have those tough but crucial conversations. Sometimes when we have those crucial conversations, we speak with passion, which gets in the way with our emotions. That said, it’s okay to disagree, but you still need to build rapport with the members of your organization, and be open to the opinions of others. 

 

​To be honest, I've always been a follower in any organization I've been a part of, which is probably why I feel like I'm not seen as a leader or have a voice or seat at the table. Now, I feel like I have a gained a whole new perspective and am ready to conquer and lead any initiative or organization I hope to be a part of--I feel Fearless in my new era of learning and leadership roles. 

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References

 

Friedman, E. H. (2007). A failure of nerve: Leadership in the age of the quick fix. Church Publishing, Inc.

 

Patterson, K., Grenny, J., & Switzler, A. (2012). Crucial conversations: Tools for talking when stakes are high (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.