In March 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt became President of the United States of America. He is known for many initiatives and accomplishments as president, but one line in his first inaugural address defined who he was as a leader, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
He was in effect calling the nation to action. He said fear was “nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.” What he told the people was that the only barrier to progress was the fear of facing the real challenges and that once the fear had been faced the road to recovery would be open.
Courageous Leaders and Fear
Effective and courageous leaders are acquainted with fear. It is one of the risks, threats, and hazards of leading. Whether it is failure, looking foolish, missing chances, losing your job, hurting people, or the uncertainty of the future, fear is something all leaders face.
Courageous leaders don’t shy away from fear. They work to understand their fears and even use their fears as reminders of the work needed in making decisions. If you do not understand and face your fears, then fear becomes an obstacle to your leadership. Said another way, when you name and face your fears you take a step toward being the leader you have been created and gifted to be.
Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.” Nelson Mandela said, “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.” As a Christ-centered leader, you have a tool and a relationship that helps you name and face your fears.
Take a moment to read and reflect upon the words of 1 John 4:7-18.
7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us, and his love is perfected in us.13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. 15 God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. 16 So we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. 17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear…
From John’s perspective, our capacity for love is from God. It is God’s love that makes our love possible. Love is the identifying mark of the followers of Jesus. We abide in him. We are at home with him and our love is perfected by him. To abide in this love is a continuing process resulting in being perfected in love or being mature in love. Mature love gives you confidence or boldness or courage. Mature love does not live in fear but in the assurance of God’s abiding love which always precedes and motivates our own.
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. The word used for casts means “to throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls.” From that perspective, love makes plain the worthless nature of our fears.
Clarence Jordan wrote, “Fear is the polio of the soul, that keeps you from living by faith.” Too often, when you react in fear, it is too late to respond; Fear has already taken hold of you. You realize when you should have acted or were impulsive, that fear kept you from being the leader needed for the moment. Effective and courageous leaders know how to name and face their fears.
Below are seven common fears that love casts out.
The fear of taking risks.
Courageous leaders know that risk-taking is part of leadership. When you start with Jesus, the love of God, the risk in loving others is worth your time, practice, and experience. Your risks might not always show in the ways others measure success, but effective and courageous Christ-centered leaders don’t fear risk, they embrace it.
The fear of failure.
Courageous leaders know there are times when you will fall short of your goals and the expectations of others. You also know that it is okay. Your failures are not final. You take responsibility for your actions and don’t give into the fear of falling short. That is part of what separates effective leaders from those who aren’t. You focus on current reality and move forward, even if it means you initially fall short of your goal.
The fear of not being good enough.
Courageous leaders know that anything worth doing is worth doing well. You are not afraid of doing your best. But if you act out of loss of confidence, self-doubt, or self-criticism, you undermine relationships and trust. When you are living into the gifts God has given you, you lead out of who you are. When there is criticism, you use it as a way of improving yourself. You welcome new ways of living and are able to embrace change. The bottom line is, to be who God created you to be and lead accordingly.
The fear of change.
Courageous leaders know that change is inevitable. You know that fear of the unknown is natural, so you face the unknown with courage, ready to learn what you need to know to move forward. As an effective leader, you don’t wait until you are forced to change. You embrace the change and become a change agent amid the change.
The fear of irrelevance.
Courageous leaders want to make a difference. You ignore the fear of becoming outdated. You are neither paralyzed from stepping into the future nor are you impulsively moving ahead without evaluation and reflection. You recognize that good work is good work, and your past good work can be a reference point for the future of both you and the people in your care. You are always equipping others to make a difference in the areas of their responsibilities.
The fear of being vulnerable.
Courageous leaders know their strengths and weaknesses. As you develop relationships and build trust, you are able to utilize the strengths and gifts of the people around you. Knowing when to ask for help and support is a key part of being an effective leader. Demonstrating that you can admit that you don’t know or that you need to go and find out not only reduces pressure on yourself but encourages the people around you to do the same.
Fear of holding people accountable.
Courageous leaders depend on their team, the people around them, to be responsible for their part of the work. Being accountable and holding people accountable are part of being an effective leader. Your people depend upon you to be trustworthy and compassionate. If you have the need to be liked or to please people, or do not know or refuse to deal with difficult situations, you undermine trust and stability. Your people look for you to lead and to assist them in being who they need to be. When you hold a standard of accountability, you develop the trust needed to accomplish your goals.
In facing fear, it matters where you start. When you start with the love of God and the love of neighbor, you are motivated to make the decisions that best serve all the people and are willing to step forward in love even if you initially fall short of your goal. As a Christ-centered leader, love makes the difference when facing the challenges that might bring fear and anxiety.
Grow as a Christ-Centered Leader
So, here are three things to help you grow as a Christ-centered leader.
Self-awareness is your friend.
Being aware of what triggers your anxiety, anger, and fear is the first step toward being a healthy and effective leader. If perfect love casts out fear, then nothing you fear can overcome who you are as a leader. Just be aware of what gets in the way of your being the leader God created you to be.
Name your fears.
Being able to name your fears allows you the opportunity to face them. In the Harry Potter series, Voldermort is a symbol of evil. All the witches and wizards do not dare to say his name. They refer to him as “You-Know-Who” or as “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.” Only when Harry begins to say the name of Voldermort does Voldermont begins to lose his power over Harry and the others. Harry named the fear. When you name your fear, you take a step toward facing your fear.
Face your fears.
There are times when fear is good. As a human being, you are designed with fear to save you from danger and ultimately death. But when fear becomes your default because of any of the reasons named above, you limit yourself as a leader. As a Christ-centered leader, you can face your fears with faith and courage because, “perfect love casts out fear.”
Perfect Love Casts out Fear
Fears are rooted deep within, and often what you fear reflects what you believe about God and about the people around you. To say and believe that “perfect love casts out fear” is to face and overcome your fears. You are starting with the knowledge and understanding that you are a beloved child of God and that by God’s grace you are equipped to face whatever obstacles you encounter. The good news is that God has created you to lead with the love you have received and experienced in and through Jesus. As a Christ-centered leader, you can lead with courage because perfect love, God’s love, is greater than your fears. God’s love can and will make you the leader God created you to be. And who is how you lead.
Take a minute to look at the fears listed above. Now, with the love you have experienced in and through Jesus, how will you face each fear? What do you need to overcome what paralyzes you from living by faith and leading with courage?
Please know that having a counselor and/or a coach is okay. There are people trained and equipped to assist you in facing each fear that hinders your leadership. The only thing you have to fear is fear itself. Perfect love has cast out your fear. God’s love has set you free. So, trust the people around you. Allow your interaction with them to shape and mold you into the leader God has created you to be. Then you can and will lead with love.
Reflect
Take a moment to reflect upon your leadership. Give God thanks for the people you met today. As you think about your day: What fear did you experience? How did you react or respond? How did perfect love help you face and overcome your fear? What did you learn about yourself? Who helped you remember that you are a child of God and that you have been empowered to love others as God has loved you? What will you do differently tomorrow? Ask God to give you the faith to be the leader God has created you to be.
Prayer
O God, today I give you thanks for life and work. Thank you for the opportunities I have had to care for others the way you have cared for me. I offer myself to be the leader you need me to be. As I face my fear, equip me to assist others in facing their fear. In the name of Jesus. Amen
