Fear Is at Work. So Is Hope. Which One Are You Leading From?

In her book Dare to Lead, Brené Brown writes, “Leaders must either invest a reasonable amount of time attending to fears and feelings, or squander an unreasonable amount of time trying to manage ineffective and unproductive behavior.” This one sentence holds the key to navigating one of the greatest leadership challenges of our time: how to lead well when the world—and the workplace—feels increasingly divided, anxious, and uncertain.

Today’s work environments are often marked by deep polarization, unrelenting change, and the psychological aftershocks of global crises. Many teams are emotionally exhausted. Conversations feel riskier. Trust is thinner. In this context, the way we lead matters more than ever—not just in what we do, but in how we show up to the people we’re entrusted to lead.

It’s tempting in such a season to retreat into control, compliance, and performance. When we’re stretched thin or navigating our own pain, we often lead from hurt. That kind of leadership may come across as micromanagement, emotional unavailability, passive aggression, or rigid decision-making. It's the leadership style that focuses more on protecting power or avoiding conflict than fostering connection and psychological safety.

But here’s the truth: hurt leadership is costly. It creates confusion, stifles creativity, and cultivates cultures of fear or apathy. Brené Brown’s insight rings loudly—ignoring the emotional undercurrents of our teams doesn’t make them disappear. It just pushes them underground where they fester, sabotage collaboration, and derail trust.

And yet, amidst this climate, we have an unprecedented opportunity. This moment invites a different kind of leadership—what I’d call heart leadership.

Leaders who embrace heart leadership in this moment have the chance to rebuild workplaces that are more just, more resilient, and more connected. They have the opportunity to cultivate cultures where people aren’t just surviving—but becoming more fully themselves, together.

Heart leadership is not about being soft or avoiding accountability. It’s about being courageous enough to recognize that our teams are not just task-driven units—they are small communities of human beings, each bringing their own stories, fears, and longings to work.

Heart leadership means:

• Listening deeply before responding.

• Normalizing emotions instead of pathologizing them.

• Creating safety by modeling vulnerability and transparency.

• Centering humanity over productivity metrics alone.

This doesn’t mean sacrificing performance—it means building the conditions where healthy performance can actually thrive. When people feel seen, safe, and connected, they engage. They care. They create. Investing in emotional well-being isn’t a distraction from the bottom line—it’s a long-game investment in it.

We are living in a liminal time, a threshold season where old leadership models are breaking down and new ones are emerging. And as disorienting as that can be, it’s also fertile ground for transformation.

Let us remember: every meeting, every email, every moment of feedback is a chance to either reinforce disconnection or build community. This is no small thing. Our workplaces are communities—and they deserve to be led with the kind of care and courage that builds something enduring.

Reflection Question: Where might you be leading from hurt instead of heart—and what would it look like to make the shift this week?

Action Step (Your Homework): Choose one small way to attend to the fears and feelings of your team this week. Maybe it’s a check-in question at the start of your next meeting. Maybe it’s following up privately with someone who seems distant. Maybe it’s simply pausing to listen more fully. Then, notice what changes.

Sources:

• Brown, B. (2018). Dare to lead: Brave work. Tough conversations. Whole hearts. Random House.

• Edmondson, A. C. (2019). The fearless organization: Creating psychological safety in the workplace for learning, innovation, and growth. Wiley.

• Laloux, F. (2014). Reinventing organizations: A guide to creating organizations inspired by the next stage of human consciousness. Nelson Parker.