Managers often have fears they do not openly discuss: fear of losing authority, making the wrong decision, being judged by the team, not controlling the situation or not meeting expectations.
How fear affects management
Fear can lead to micromanagement, avoidance of difficult conversations, delayed decisions, excessive control or, on the contrary, emotional pressure. The manager may believe they are acting rationally, while the real driver is anxiety.
A team quickly feels this. People become cautious, hide problems, wait for instructions or stop taking initiative.
Name the fear
The first step is to name what exactly is frightening. 'I am afraid the team will not respect me' is different from 'I am afraid the project will fail' or 'I am afraid to admit that I do not know the answer'.
Turn fear into action
Ask what information is missing, what decision must be made, what conversation should happen and what support is needed. Fear decreases when it becomes a task.
A strong manager is not a person without fear. It is a person who can notice fear and still act professionally.
This English version is translated and edited by meaning. Obvious spelling and recognition errors in the Russian source are corrected in the English wording.
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