When Fear Works ― and When it Doesn't

Leadership is about inspiration, not intimidation.

The Desperate Man by Gustave Courbet, 1843 (public domain - Wikipedia)

“We promise according to our hopes, and perform according to our fears.” ― La Rochefoucauld, 1664

Have you ever felt real fear?

Like the kind of fear that gives you a palpable sense of dread? That makes your chest tighten and your heart pound?

I remember feeling like that when I first visited a lake in New Hampshire when I was 14 years old.

Growing up in Connecticut, I was fortunate to have a backyard pool. We used to host YMCA-taught swimming lessons each summer for our friends and neighbors. I remember the pride I had as I received a patch for the level I completed every year: Polliwog, Guppy, Minnow, Fish, Flying Fish, and ultimately, Shark.

By the end of each day, we’d be as wrinkled as prunes and our lungs would ache from all the time spent underwater. But we were expert swimmers, which made us even braver when we went to the beach on Cape Cod or Newport late…