Fear can is a state of heightened alertness and can highlight the need for urgent action. It is rarely a helpful long term driver for positive organisational change. It may help bring about change, but it will also cause people to leave as no one wants to be in a state of constant fear.

Fear is a hugely powerful emotion that hopefully is experienced sparingly. Regularly using it as a management style says more about me than my team. No one has ‘work for a dictator’ on their bucket list of life.

Fear is an indicator of something else. So when we operate out of fear or notice ourselves using fear to ‘change’ others, it is important to reflect on what is going on inside ourselves that the fear is pointing to.

Use fear sparingly; include and inspire liberally.