Leadership Part 4: Managing Fear

Fear, for many, is a part of everyday life, whether we realize it or not. We work to earn a living because we fear what would happen without that paycheck. We lock our doors because we fear unknown predators and burglars. We follow strong leaders because we are afraid to forge our own path. In all of these cases, we see that fear need not be a negative. A good leader uses fear to motivate those s/he is leading. This requires a sense of tact, of course, and an ability to both assuage unhelpful fears and utilize helpful fears. This article describes how to differentiate the two, and some strategies for turning fear into a leadership advantage.

Is It Better to Be Feared Than to Be Loved?

Niccolo Machiavelli, author of The Prince, is famous above all for his declaration that it is better to be feared than to be loved. While this may be true for a dictator seeking to seize and/or retain absolute power, it is probably not true for leaders in a democratic government, or leaders within any organization. Even so, it is important not to dichotomize potential responses to leadership as only allowing fear or love. Indeed, more than either of these responses, a leader should elicit respect. In some cases, this will lead to a fear in followers of not winning the respect of the leader in return, or a love for the leader's style and admiration of his/her abilities or personality. These are incidental only. A true leader earns followers because people respect the person enough to follow his/her lead, and to act as s/he expects.