Life Coach as Leader: Are You Coming From a Place of Fear?

Ronald E. Riggio wrote in the article, “Cutting-Edge Leadership” in Psychology Today :

“I knew one self-serving leader who was very upfront about his Machiavellian nature, and tried to justify his behavior (and his bad leadership). “Look, a lot of the people who work for me aren’t going anywhere,” he said. “I’m the department head, so it just makes sense that the credit will go to me.”

As a life coach, heart-based entrepreneur or healer, you aren’t likely to be so openly callous – I hope!  lol!

But if you are coming from a place of fear, you may be exhibiting a negative energy that feels contagious to clients or people on your staff.   Following your heart into a completely different life based only on your intuition can feel like stepping out onto ice.  It’s hard to look forward toward your goal on the other side when fish are swimming only an inch or two beneath your toes!

It’s important to address your fears by talking to a trusted – and honest – confidant, journaling and meditation.   If you are emitting toxic negative energy, it could come from one of these:

• Fear of failure.  In my previous blog, I wrote about a fitness center manager who tried to pressure a woman into signing a contract she didn’t want.  Why would she do that?  Because she was rude?  Because she was mean?  Because she got a kick out of pushing people into over-extending their budgets?  No.  She did it because she had allowed her fear to dominate her actions.  She no doubt had a quote of new customers to fill, and no doubt there were negative consequences for failing to fill it.  Her fear of failure made her deaf to the signals the woman was sending.
• Fear of the unknown.  Following your passion and intuition means, by definition, that your life will be unpredictable and certainly unregimented.  You aren’t in the stifling but secure confines of a 9 to 5 box anymore.  This is liberating.  And it is often terrifying.
• Fear of emotion.  Your new life as a heart-based entrepreneur, life coach or healer depends on your ability to tap into the intangible – your instincts, your emotion, and promptings from the wide unknown.  This can be overwhelming.  If  you shrink away from that light, your interactions with others will be tainted with the darkness.

Half the joy and wonder of success is the surprises.  If you lead from a dark place, others will sense it and refuse to follow.  Let go of your vision of leader as boss or king of the mountain, and replace it with that of a facilitator, influencer, and guide through the surprises that life holds for you.

If you’re ready to celebrate your success as a  life coach, heart-based entrepreneur, or healer, learn how now in my EnergyRICH® Bootcamp.