“I’ve lived through some terrible things in my life… some of which actually happened.”
Fear is a real-time threat, right here, right now.
(A bear bursts into your office. Immediate action required!)
Anxiety is about what might happen.
(The “what ifs” swirling in our minds, even when there’s no bear in sight.)
A simple difference — but with a big impact.
C-Suite leaders and executives I work with face this every day.
But honestly, so do we all.
Fear demands immediate action.
Anxiety quietly drains energy, clouds judgment, and keeps us up at night.
And most of what we worry about never actually happens.
A useful question:
“Am I responding to real fear or letting anxiety about possible futures run the show?”
Great leaders — and great humans — learn to make that distinction. It opens the door to clearer choices, calmer presence, and stronger impact.
What helps you keep anxiety from taking over when the “what ifs” start swirling?