Facing Our Fears

This past Friday our nation was faced with another tragic mass murder, this time including 20 children and six adults at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. We can only image the fear they faced as a lone gunman methodically killed them. Fear is a powerful emotion that can seize control, causing us to react in ways that may protect us from harm or paralyze us into inaction.

Leaders in business and politics can use fear as a tactic to influence how others respond to their need for power and control. The threat of retribution, or simply being criticized, may silence opposition or coerce compliance. Too few leaders will admit to their own fears and anxieties, something that doesn’t serve others well.

For those trying to make sense of last week’s events, fear may cloud judgment as they seek to place blame or prevent future acts of mass violence. It’s too easy to project our own fears onto others or allow our fears to energize us in other unhelpful ways.

Facing our fears requires a gentleness of spirit. We need to act in love and deep concern for the other person, regardless of how they may have treated us. When we disconnect the energy of fear from our experiences we can choose a different response.

There is plenty for all of us to worry about. Fiscal cliffs, threats of job loss, random acts of violence, and so much more are predicted or occurring every day. We need gentle leaders who model vulnerability and share their own fears with us. By creating safe places to identify our fears we can face them with confidence and generate better outcomes.

As we hold up in our prayers all those affected by the tragedy in Newtown, let us also pray that our own fears will remind us to lead with love and gentleness.