The 20 Seconds That Will Change Your Career
[Reading time: 4 minutes]
My biggest fear? Perhaps it's yours too. Public speaking.
During the “In Crescendo” concert last Saturday, August 24, which I organized with my foundation Notes for Growth.
Last Saturday, I spoke in front of an audience of 120 people to present a charity concert that I organized for the music education foundation I founded in 2018 with my husband.
Even though I’ve done various public speaking events in the corporate world, for my community of investors, and in philanthropy, this time, too, before stepping on stage, my heart was racing, and I was afraid of mispronouncing the name of the Japanese Ambassador to Chile who was present at the event (a note on my iPad saved me 😉).
Fortunately, everything went well, and the concert was a great success.
But today, I don't want to talk to you about the strategies I use for public speaking (if you're interested, let me know by replying to this email).
Instead, I want to briefly share 3 tools that have helped me overcome this and other fears that for years self-sabotaged my professional growth. Spoiler: the third tool is my favorite.
In the notes, you'll find a challenge I want to offer you and a couple of books that I found very helpful during my journey of managing and overcoming these fears.
Photo Credits: Solid Colours from Getty Images Signature
3 TOOLS TO OVERCOME FEAR
List. Make a list of the situations that scare you in your work life but that you know would contribute to your professional growth if you could face them. Acknowledge them and give them a name. Here are the fears I’ve faced and managed in my career that might inspire you:
The fear of having another burnout (I'll discuss this in an upcoming newsletter);
The fear of public speaking (it seems even the most seasoned CEOs and Executives suffer from it, even after years of practice);
The fear of voicing my opinion when all my colleagues think differently;
The fear of saying "NO";
The fear of not living up to the expectations of my role;
The fear of making controversial strategic decisions;
The fear of taking responsibility for my team’s mistakes;
The fear of losing control when I delegate;
The fear of not being perceived as a competent leader;
The fear of wasting time on non-priority things.
Mithridatism: small daily challenges. Before starting your workday, write in your agenda one or more actions you commit to doing during the day to overcome at least one of your fears listed in point 1. Here are some examples:
I will say NO to meetings and calls after 6 PM to protect my time for family and sports.
I will voice my opinion in meetings even when it's easier to stay silent.
I will invite someone I admire to lunch, who could offer me advice for my networking, knowing they might decline the invitation.
I will ask for help from my colleague even when pride tells me to do it all myself.
Instead of confronting fear with a big risky leap, practice with small courageous steps.
This way, you’ll gradually transform fear and risk into strength.
In this way, you’ll be adopting a 4.0 version of “mithridatism,” the ancient Greek practice of building resistance to a toxic substance (in our case, our fears) through gradual exposure to that very substance (note 3).
20 Seconds: In the forgettable movie "We Bought a Zoo," Matt Damon’s character talks to his son, who is afraid to approach a girl he likes.
Here’s the advice Matt Damon gives his son:
“You know, sometimes all you need is 20 seconds of insane courage.
Just literally 20 seconds of embarrassing bravery.
And I promise you, something great will come of it.”
If you lack the push to “dive in” and face your fears, give yourself these 20 seconds of insane courage where you commit to starting and following through with that daunting action. Just 20 seconds.
I promise you, something wonderful will happen afterward.
The 20 seconds of insane courage (or simply #20seconds) have been crucial in changing my mindset and acting with determination, leading me to unexpected results.
For this reason, they have become the mantra I constantly repeat to my team, friends and clients, encouraging them to dare, overcome their fears, and break through self-imposed limits.
Those few seconds are truly transformative: they can open the door to a world of unique opportunities that might otherwise remain trapped behind the barriers of your fears.
Exchange of messages between me and a client about #20seconds. Translation of the client's last sentence: "And now to achieve the mindset for those 20 seconds! A hug and have a great weekend"
I hope I’ve given you some insights to develop the muscle of courage, one of the most important for achieving your career goals and becoming the Executive you’ve always wanted to be.
See you next Saturday.
Silvia
NOTES:
(1) If you want to embark on a journey of “insane courage” and conquer the fears holding you back in your career, I offer you a small initial challenge: send me an email today with a list of your fears. By doing so, you’ll have already taken a decisive step using tool #1, and I can encourage you to use the other two tools. Are you in? I’m waiting for your list.
(2) Books that I found particularly helpful in managing and overcoming my fears:
Rejection Proof
Suitable for those who fear rejection and want to develop the resilience needed to face any situation with courage and confidence.
• Check this book on Amazon IT: link;
• Check this book on Amazon US: link
Managing Your Anxiety (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)
Suitable for executives facing the challenges of anxiety related to the pressure and responsibilities of their role. The book offers practical strategies for managing these fears effectively.
• Check this book on Amazon IT: link;
• Check this book on Amazon US: link;
(3) It is said that in the Hellenistic period, King Mithridates VI of Pontus (120-63 BC) in what is now Turkey, became accustomed to small doses of various poisons to develop a kind of immunity. Mithridates constantly feared being poisoned by his enemies, so according to legend, he took small amounts of different toxic substances daily to render them ineffective against him. This practice became legendary, so much so that the term "mithridatism" is used to describe the idea of building resistance to a toxic substance through gradual exposure.