ABSTRACT
“Dread” means a fear of and apprehension about the future. In leadership, dread undermines rational thinking and can create a near-panic situation. Merely expecting the awful can itself be awful. That applies to a colonoscopy, a huge roller coaster ride, or even a first date. It certainly applies to dealing with difficult colleagues and subordinates at work. Dread is actually an emotion in response to or anticipation of other emotions. Resilience is the ability to recover quickly, to “spring back” from an upset, defeat, setback, or other unanticipated obstacle. Resilience counteracts fear. Consequently, resilience is one of the greatest emotional tools to combat fear. Having a healthy and well-developed sense of humor helps us to appreciate and learn from failure. Finally, failure often calls for us to seek help and not to shoulder the burden ourselves. This is where family, counseling, coaching, and/or colleagues can help tremendously.
