3 Ways to Work Through Fear As a DEI Leader
DEI leaders, creating a plan for confronting fear is foundational to longevity in the work. Fear is paralyzing and can hold you back from living your DEI goals.
My Story
I have been scared many times in my consulting practice. So many times. In fact, it is fair to say that fear has been an all too faithful frenemy, an everpresent companion, present at every critical moment in my journey as a business owner and practitioner. I spent a good amount of time being afraid.
After reflecting on the reasons for my fear, I think it’s not quite the same as imposter syndrome. Generally, I am a person who relishes being behind the scenes and offering quiet support to folks on “big” stages. When I worked in the public policy space, that part of my personality made me a very good staffer. However, that characteristic is unhelpful in business, especially in a consulting practice where I am the principal.
As I share my career story with you, four specific experiences come to mind. In all four instances, I was scared as hell at the moment, but I learned so much.
Alright, here goes.
My Scared-As-Hell Career Firsts That (Ultimately) Pushed Me Forward
Here are four times when I moved through fear to achieve a big goal. I am sharing these moments as an encouragement to you that it is okay to take scary career steps that move you forward.
My first newsletter: I published my first newsletter in January 2019. Literally, I started with four subscribers. In the early days, I would break into sweats before clicking send. Seriously. Over and over, I would wonder if my words made sense. After a few newsletters, I discovered that my writing resonates with people. Even now, my newsletter subscribers reach out to share positive feedback. I appreciate it so much. My newsletter, Race in the Workplace, continues to be a work in progress as I work through my fear to promote it. Today, the newsletter is in its fifth year.
My first blog post: Oh, Lord. I wrote my first post for Race in the Workplace in January 2018. Yall, it took me two weeks days to write a 1,500-word blog post. Two weeks! In that blog, I created a tool to help nonprofits ask the right questions when hiring a racial equity consultant. Terrified, I hit publish, thinking no one would download the tool. Yet, that tool — my first checklist — has been downloaded almost 500 times since I created it. Yep, you read that right, almost 500 downloads.
My first solo training gig: Prior to starting Stamey Street in 2016, I consulted primarily through the Race Matters Institute. My first solo client hired me shortly after I incorporated. I will never forget that day. I delivered a short racial equity strategic planning session in their office. As I started my workshop, my voice was so shaky (imagine a teacup rattling during an earthquake). Eventually, I calmed myself and settled into my presentation. Terrified. Completely. Later, I learned that session started what became a major pivot in that organization’s work. And five years later, their commitment to racial equity has grown along with their programming.
My first gig with a big tech failure: A friend asked me as a favor to offer a training session to a group of adoptive families. I had just started my business, and I wanted more solo training experience. The week of the session, I sent my tech needs to the client, then went about my way, creating a great session — all in PowerPoint. On the day of the event, I arrived at the venue. No tech. No screen, no projector, no sound capability. I am freaking ALL-the-way-the-HELL-out. Onsite, all we could scrape together was flip chart paper and markers. I told myself, “Joanna, either you know what you are doing, or you don’t, and we are ALL about to find out right now.” I delivered that session using only a flip chart. Almost four years later, I recently learned that session changed the way that organization works with families and the support they offer. Impact. Turns out, I do know what I am doing.
Let Your Light Shine
I share these experiences with you because so often, we, as DEI practitioners, dim our own light. I know from experience that knowing who you are and carrying a deep sense of personal purpose for your work can sustain you when everything goes wrong.
Sometimes voices that are not your own create the fear you feel. Those familiar voices can say things that limit you. Sadly, it’s not always someone who wants to intentionally harm you whose voice shapes how you see yourself and your potential.
It could be a family member, partner, friend, or mentor who has projected their fears onto you.
I don’t want to venture into therapy here, but I believe it is important to explore fears that may be preventing you from pursuing your higher goals. This internal heart step is important because so much of deep organizational work is rooted in 1) trusting your instinct and 2) common sense. There isn’t a framework for every situation you will encounter in your work, so you will need to figure out how to work through fear.
The Three Strategies I Use To Work Through Fear
Enough with the embarrassing stuff.
Generally, I work through fear gently and with kindness. She’s a persistent frenemy, and I respect her. I do not power through. Instead, I choose to believe that what I have to offer the world or the work at that moment is bigger than the fear connected to it.
Honestly, my voice still shakes sometimes, and I may break into a sweat, but I do it anyway.
To summarize, here are my three strategies for working through fear:
1. Hold on to believing what I have to offer is bigger than my fear.
2. Learn to work through fear. Acknowledge her, but act anyway.
3. Get clear on my personal why.
I also read a helpful book called Show Your Work by Austin Kleon. It is a short read (or listen). It helped me understand the gift that our experience can be to others. If you are a new consultant or new to leading DEI in your organization, it's okay to feel fear in those big moments. Press through anyway because you have something valuable to share with the world — YOU!
Other resources:
How to Manage the Fear of Being Seen and Show Up Confidently by Stacey Hagen
Show Your Work by Austin Kleon
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