Career Fears: Finding courage with Jenny Wood
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What are you so afraid of?
Well, it could be a lot of things. To quote a Golden Girls episode: "Take a quarter and call a shrink. This ain't Cheers!"
But seriously, in a career context, there are plenty of things to be afraid of -- responsibility for big things, blame if they go wrong, public speaking, losing your job and not being able to pay your bills -- and on and on.
Maybe some of your fears are legitimate, but more likely they are made up by our overactive brains. Either way, one thing is true: Your fears are holding you back.
What could you accomplish if you pushed past those fears?
That's what Jenny Wood wants to know. The former Google exec has a new book out, "Wild Courage," to shock us out of our fear and complacency. For this newsletter, she sat down to talk about how courage can be a game-changer for our lives and careers.
Q: Why is it so important to talk about courage?
A: I think that courage is the overcoming of fear. Fear of failure, fear of uncertainty, fear of the judgment of others. Think of something you really want: What is standing between you and reaching that thing?
I’ve coached thousands of executives on leadership, and the same thing always comes up – fear. Wild courage is the process of feeling that fear, and taking action anyways.
Q: In your book you encourage people to be ‘weird’ and ‘shameless’. Why did you choose terms like that?
A: I wanted to shake people and wake them up, and help them get excited about this with a bit of sizzle. People are so scared of words like that, because they don’t want to be seen as ‘nosy’ or ‘selfish’ or ‘reckless’. So they don’t take any action at all. That fear of judgment holds us back, and that invisible cage keeps us small and quiet. It keeps us following instead of leading. I’ve seen so many people stay stuck because of their fear of being called things like that – but in the end, it’s only holding your talent back from the world.
Q: A lot of people are introverted, so how do you get them to step out with courage and start championing themselves?
A: People often say, ‘I’m shy, so this is hard for me.’ But there are a lot of things you can do, that don’t even involve talking to anybody else or putting yourself out there. Even just shifting to a growth mindset: Take any statement that starts with ‘I can’t,’ and end it with ‘yet’. So don’t say ‘I can’t do YouTube’ or ‘I can’t lead a team meeting’ … it’s only that you can’t do those things ‘yet’. That changes your entire perspective.
Q: People are freaking out a bit about their jobs right now, so what would you say to them?
A: Recognize that the tales you are telling yourself are probably not true. For instance, in the past when I was worried about my job I told myself tales like ‘I’m getting laid off, I’m not pushing my team hard enough, I’ve been slacking, I’ll never get hired again’. Recognize that those tales are not the truth, and change those narratives.
Q: You have a big presence on LinkedIn, so what tips do you have for developing that community?
A: Consistency, consistency, consistency. The first time I posted, my hands were shaking, my palms were sweating. A friend said, ‘You can do it.’ So I started at posting once a week, now I post almost every day. That consistency is critical, and then your audience will start to grow. Find people to support you: When you have 5,000 followers, engage with people who have 10,000. When you have 10,000, find someone with 15,000. It’s all about developing friends and allies for mutual benefit. When you figure out what really benefits somebody, then go out and get it for them.
Q: People’s instinct in a rough economy is to keep their heads down, so what do you say to them?
A: The last thing you want to do when there is carnage in the job market, is to be quiet and still and invisible. This is the perfect time to manage higher, and set up regular meetings with your boss’ boss. Or manage ‘diagonally’ – who is working to the left and right of your boss? Connect with them, get to know them, offer them value. If there are layoffs, the people who are usually laid off are the invisible ones. Fifty percent of your job is actually doing the work, but the other 50% is communicating it.
Q: How can people take steps to develop confidence?
A: Say yes to the big stuff, and no to the small stuff. Are you getting on the high-profile projects at work, the things that are important to the company? Be the one who says ‘Put me in coach, I can do that,’ as opposed to just taking whatever is assigned to you. You can have agency, and be in control of your own destiny.
Q: Any final takeaways for readers?
A: Don’t let fear shape your decisions. Think about how often we do that. When we push past that fear, there is so much more we can accomplish. So that’s actually such good news. We have control over that fear, and we are never so purposeful and powerful as when we are pushing past it. Everything we want is on the other side of that fear.
Thanks Jenny for the chat ... and check out her new book here!
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New Awards: Best Bond ETFs
When the stock market is going gangbusters, the general public doesn't care about bonds.
If equities are getting investors 20%-plus a year, why even bother with a few percentage points of guaranteed return? Seems laughable.
Not so laughable now, is it?!
Stocks are getting killed, a first-quarter contraction is being forecast, recession looms, uncertainty abounds ... and all of a sudden, fixed income is the sexiest game in town. Find some shelter and get under it.
Lucky for you my new article on Best Bond ETFs is out, for The Wall Street Journal Buyside. With some help from my friends at Morningstar and VettaFi , we singled out a few funds investors can be comfortable with -- with winners from providers like Vanguard , BlackRock , PIMCO and J.P. Morgan .
Enjoy that income!
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As always, feel free to get in touch via email (christaylornyc@yahoo.com), or on everyone's favorite new social media platform Bluesky, or by DM on LinkedIn -- to suggest story ideas, or ask money questions, or hire me as a freelancer, or sponsor this newsletter, or broadcast your job opening.
A special hello to new subscribers like Natalie Bean , Ali Gostanian , Zac Rivera , Jordan Fischler , my Nortel friend Sonya Shorey , and Amey Stone ! Welcome!
Until next time ...
-CT
I help you navigate the corporate jungle so you can get savvy without the scars!
5moI tried to take a non-biased view of her recent article. I think she has some good advice, but I can't say I agree with all of it. Breakdown here: https://youtu.be/PHrkfGdsGMU?si=-hgRcvovWFNi0zMd
Brand, Product & Executive Storyteller. Communications Pro. 40 Under 40 Honoree. Explaining the widgets, gadgets, and doodads impacting our lives. Making the story land with the people who will have the biggest impact.
6moThanks for the shoutout, Chris! So happy to be here.