Fear and Organisations

Just a thought that came to me while re-watching my interview on Power of Ten.

Hello friend!

A few months ago, I had the pleasure of joining Andy Polaine for an episode of his podcast, Power of Ten. I have been following Andy’s work for some time, so it was a fantastic opportunity to spend an hour with him discussing design, leadership, and change—some of my favourite topics!

He released the episode yesterday. I truly enjoyed watching it; I think it is both insightful and fun. One of the questions he asked was about fear and anxiety in the workplace. He rightly highlights how people at different levels in organisations often experience fear and anxiety, and how that really shapes behaviour within those organisations.

I fundamentally believe that fear is one of the most powerful engines that move large organisations. Sometimes, I think the reason corporates engage in seemingly pointless reorganisations every six months or so is to keep fear high and visible. Fear of losing one’s job, fear of being considered unnecessary or unimportant to the team or organisation, fear of not being good enough—these are all mechanisms that often push people to give more and more of themselves to their work: more time, more energy, more focus. All in an effort to prove to others—and perhaps even more so to themselves—that they have worth.

How different would it be if we held a strong and clear sense of self-worth? Those tactics simply wouldn’t work! I believe the fear-driven mechanisms that organisations employ often prey on our individual insecurities and lack of inner self-worth. Loving yourself then becomes a radical act.

I’d love to hear your perspective on this.

Watch the full episode below. Enjoy!