A friend of mine once said the key to building a successful company is managing our fear. He often talked about the fear of failure, the fear of investors, the fear of a flawed business model, the fear that science will fail and the fear of not having adequate capital. In our work with hundreds of CEOs, I’d say not only was Gary right—but he was onto something deeper.
When people lead from a position of fear, they are not leading from an optimal place. How do we know? We looked at stress and confidence scores, social acuity – emotional intelligence (EQ), from 200 CEOs. Specifically, we analyzed emotional intelligence, measuring behaviors like social skills, goodwill, compromise, accommodation, and avoidance.
When fear and lack of confidence were present, we found inconsistencies in how leaders navigate relationships and situations. When fear and lack of confidence are present, it often impacts Social Skills, one’s ability to build broader networks with substantive relationships. Fear can, and does, affect goodwill, one’s ability to show care and compassion. Meaningful connections are a requirement for trust. When Social Skills and Goodwill are compromised, so is trust. Extreme scores in either Compromise or Accommodation often cause erratic behavior in how someone engages with others. When these scores are low, people tend to become more judgmental, cynical, rigid, and overly self-assured. When the scores are high, individuals may be more open and accepting—but often reluctant to challenge or push back. They do not engage, they are silent, having no impact or influence.
Even more interesting is when one of these scores is high and the other is low. That imbalance creates unpredictable behavior patterns. The most effective leaders are consistent in how they apply their social and emotional skills. Fear, on the other hand, drives inconsistency and behavioral extremes, which ultimately hinder a leader’s ability to develop talent and navigate the complex challenges they face.
But what I find even more important is this: despite their financial success and business stature, many of these C-level executives aren’t enjoying what they’re doing. They’ve spent years preparing, competing, and achieving at the highest levels—and yet they feel unfulfilled. The stress and loss of confidence spill over into their personal lives. It affects how they show up with their spouse, their kids, and their friends.
There’s a better path.
At EurekaConnect, we measure the behavioral factors that contribute to fear, inconsistency, and growth potential. We help leaders focus on personal development and refining the skills that make them better people and stronger leaders, more adept at building teams and organizations.
We have tools to help leaders understand their why—why they’re stressed, why their confidence has eroded, and why they struggle to consistently engage with people and situations in a healthy, effective way.
If you're a leader who doesn't feel connected to your day—or if you believe you could be a better leader, spouse, parent, friend, or sibling—reach out to us. We can help. We use validated tools to uncover your why. And once we know your why, we can help you focus on the what—what will make you a stronger leader, a better companion, and a more grounded, joyful person.