What GUT

I have had this thought in my head bugging me for the past week.  I read it somewhere in passing and didn’t give it a second thought but the phrase has loomed ever bigger each day.  After much searching online and through magazines I had read recently I tracked it down in ENTREPRENEUR – written by Amy Cosper, the Editor in chief.

Here are a couple of her quotes.

“The situation (of the economy) is making normally rational people act like loonies.  It’s fear. And its a real business issue these days.  But fear makes for a really crappy growth strategy.”

“When you let fear infiltrate your strategic plan, you will fail to thrive in any economy.  After all, fearlessness is what distinguishes entrepreneurial DNA.”

For the purpose of my thoughts I don’t compare fear equally with stress.  Stress can be saved for another day and is often a great motivator.  Especially if you procrastinate.   (Here is an article in my cousins blog about procrastination http://tinyurl.com/cewrap )

I have thought more about the title above and the impact fear has had on me and my business.  I have seen as many if not more fillable jobs over the past few months but my team has been unable to fill many of these positions due to finding qualified candidates that are filled with fear.  They are afraid of an (better) opportunity because of this fear that has been fed to them.  I don’t blame them.  At times I have felt this same fear and have stayed up nights wondering if my business will survive.

Fear lends itself to failure and lack of fear doesn’t always eliminate failure but it does improve your chance of success.  Fear can also be a strong motivating factor.  Think of times of fear and how your adrenaline surged through your body and heightened your senses  and increased your strength.  These times of heightened stress are often followed by a time of weakness or even sickness.  So fear can be a short-term motivating tool with a significant physical and/or emotional hangover.

This has had me thinking about my fear and how I have let it affect my business.  I have cut back spending, laid off poor performers, and generally tightened my belt.  These things in themselves are not always bad things for a business to do to survive but can become detrimental when the actions are a result of fear.

Here is where I think the opportunity lies.  While those around us are acting or reacting to fear we need to take advantage of this time to solidify our strength.  If you want to grow put your fears aside and find a strategy that will lead you to growth.

I think of Peter when Jesus called him to walk upon the water.  As soon as Peter took his eyes off Jesus (his goal) and let fear enter his heart he began to sink.  We are called to succeed in the things we do – keep our eyes on the goal and keep fear from our hearts, and we will more likely achieve the growth we desire.

If you have this fear set a goal today to change eliminate it from your heart.  Think of a strategy to improve your current circumstance.  We are in the midst of an economic recession.  Don’t let it become a personal recession.  Use this time for personal and professional growth!

Please comment and let me know your thoughts on this.  I always look forward to replies.

As always please follow me www.whoblue.com/gutblue or my jobs on twitter  www.twitter.com/whoblue

John Grotegut