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Stepping Up to the Plate: Facing Up to Your Fear of Assuming a Leadership Role

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Engaged Leadership

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Abstract

This chapter first examines the reasons why some people refrain from taking on leadership roles when invited to do so. Fear of failure is considered a critical aspect herein, and overcoming the fear to take on a leadership role is the critical undertone to the rest of the chapter. The chapter presents a case study of an individual who never considered herself fit to take on an official leadership role. The case study serves as a basis for considering how to help individuals manage and overcome anxiety and fear through the use of cognitive behavioral therapy. The chapter subsequently presents three practical exercises intended to address fear (generally as well as the fear of becoming a leader) and the reluctance to assume leadership roles, followed by lessons for engaged leaders and reflection questions.

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Grimard, C., Andrew Morris, J. (2018). Stepping Up to the Plate: Facing Up to Your Fear of Assuming a Leadership Role. In: Marques, J., Dhiman, S. (eds) Engaged Leadership. Management for Professionals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72221-4_9

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