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The emotion of the time seems to be fear. Global leaders use it and people buy into it. Fear is clearly useful yet it is an emotion which is far from conducive to creativity, wellbeing and change.
Fear is a reaction stimulated by perceived danger and causes a change in metabolism, hormones and ultimately affects behaviour. Commonly we experience freeze or flight, paralysis and tension, anxiety and stress. At the same time, challenges excite and motivate us. For some of us the fear of not succeeding is the only thing that gets us organised and into action; for others the possibility of failure is paralysing. This is the conundrum that faces leaders in organisations all the time.
You may think that employees should be encouraged to manage their own wellbeing and stress levels but it is only the thickest-skinned employee who is not influenced by the climate and conditions they experience at work. The organisational culture and the role of the leaders are both critical. A recent study by the American Psychological Association[1] suggests that less than half the workforce think their culture supports employee wellbeing and a third report chronic stress - the first increase in three years. This is therefore a current issue with consequences for organisational agility today.
To be fully and productively creative you need to be under your personal threshold of dysfunction in relation to fear. As Edwin H Land, American inventor and scientist, said: "The essential part of creativity is not being afraid to fail." It is not enough to support employees with briefings and programmes; it is a crucial job for every leader to manage the fear levels of their people but many managers may not be doing a good job. A well-designed 360 diagnostic can help show them what more they need to do.
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