#73: Why You Fear Failure Despite Your Success (And What It’s Costing You Now)
Are you telling yourself: ‘I’m already successful. What happens if I do something different and fail?’
Today, we’re talking about how the fear of failure shows up for you as a high-achieving leader — no matter how ‘successful’ you are.
Because here’s what I see amongst the senior leaders I work with…
You’re successful on paper and have followed the path that’s laid out in front of you. You’ve ticked every box that society, your industry or organisation told you was needed to progress your career.
Now you’re finding yourself at a crossroads and the strategies you once relied on are no longer working. You’ve either hit a ceiling in your current career or industry — or the path you were on isn’t aligned anymore. So when your current path has no clear next step or you decide to do something different, of course it feels uncertain.
This is why it seems safer to stay where you are. And the biggest underlying fear I see at the root of this is the fear of failure. Because there’s more to lose at this level: money, status, credibility, your accumulated experience and professional identity.
But your next chapter doesn’t have to come at the expense of the success you’ve already achieved. It’s about using everything you’ve built to intentionally create the career you want now.
This is the difference between starting from the ‘outside in’ versus the ‘inside out’. The first keeps you on the safe path, chasing external success. The second is the approach I recommend: Taking ownership of your career and following YOUR version of success.
In this episode, I’m unpacking the 3 core beliefs beneath the fear of failure that keep high-achievers at a crossroads in their careers. Discover how to stop following someone else’s version of success, so you create a career by design — not default.
You’ll learn:
- What to do if you’re afraid of throwing away everything you’ve already built, so you reduce risk with your next career move
- The real truth about what other people think and the ONE shift you must make so you no longer let their opinions hold you back
- Why worrying about making the ‘wrong’ move keeps you trapped in endless overthinking — and how to get clear on what you want next without waiting for certainty
So hit play now — and let’s dive in!
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