Leadership Advice: Being Afraid Means You’re on the Right Track

I had the pleasure of attending the PR Council’s SHEquality Roundtable, “From Ground Floor to Breaking the Glass Ceiling,” on November 6th. During which, I was one of a number of young professionals who had an opportunity to speak with Marketing and Public Relations powerhouses—including Bliss’ very own Cortney Stapleton—about their professional development and career progression. From these roundtable conversations, the one concept that has stuck with me in the days since is the idea that being professionally fearless does not mean you are unafraid.

In our discussions, women across the industry shared their stories of uncertainty matched with incredibly bravery. I know what you are thinking, and no, these were not tale

s of life-saving heroism. Rather, —the stories were about the simple beauty of one audacious introvert attending their first networking event; a daring intern taking it upon themselves to share their idea with a CEO; or a gallant individual accepting a new leadership role that is both unfamiliar and offers a previously unseen level of personal agency and responsibility.

The courage of these women, not only to have accomplished these feats, but also to willingly share their stories with others, demonstrated an admirable boldness and tremendous

level of self-reflection. It was invigorating to hear from new and seasoned professionals alike, confirm the reaffirmation that, at one point

or another, we are all just figuring this out together.

These stories showed me that no experience, nor any decision, is ever too minuscule to serve as an opportunity for growth and development—and every day we should always choose to do the things that scare us, because the payoff can be tremendous.

By The Bliss Group

Photo by PR Council