Why creative leaders must accept fear

With change now a permanent in business, it is vital that those leading creative teams can cope with the fear that accompanies it. Here Leadership Coach Tanya Livesey offers some advice for living with uncertainty and chaos

“The true role of a leader of creative systems is not to foresee and take control of its journey, but to contain the anxiety of its members as they operate at the edge of chaos” Ralph Stacey

Living with fear is a simple fact for modern business and anxiety an all-too-familiar sensation for most leaders. But this is the reality of our times, where the pace of change today is the slowest it’s ever going to be and stability has been thrown out of the window. The anacronym VUCA, meaning volatility, uncertainty, chaos and ambiguity, was coined by the military last century, to explain exceptional circumstances. Nowadays it defines the world. But how do you lead the way when you don’t know where you’re going? And how can you plan for success, when you can’t predict the next five months, let alone the next five years?

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