Are You Afraid of Commitment?

I was CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers through the Great Recession. We could tell on the front end things were going to get tough, so we brought in some consultants to help us reframe the challenge and improve our performance.

I assembled the entire leadership team and went through the coaching program.

One key exercise involved leaders committing to specific outcomes. After individually examining what was needed in their part of the business, they would say, “I’m taking a stand for x, y, or z”—whatever their individual commitment was.

Some jumped in with both feet. But others were more reluctant. The point of the exercise was to get our leadership thinking about using their agency to move the business forward when it felt like everything was pushing against us. But some resisted making any commitment at all.

Here’s what I noticed: The people who wanted to hold back felt conflicted about taking a stand, even a little afraid. They wanted what was best for the business, but they were uneasy about committing.

I’ve seen this in dozens of contexts over the years. I bet you have too. And If you’re like me, you’ve probably also felt it from time to time.

4 Steps to Commit with Confidence

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