Are You Leading Through Someone Else’s Fear?
Sep 04, 2025
We all carry stories that shape how we lead.
Some of those stories we’ve chosen. But others?
They were passed down—quietly, and often without us noticing.
You’ve probably heard the phrase:
“We inherit the worst fears of our parents.”
And in leadership, this shows up more than most people realise.
There’s a powerful moment in the film Straight Outta Compton that captures this.
Dr. Dre’s mum confronts him for skipping a job interview. On the surface, she’s angry. But underneath that is fear:
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Fear that her son is throwing away his future.
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Fear that her sacrifices were for nothing.
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Fear that life will hurt him the same way it hurt her.
Her worldview—shaped by hardship—is being handed down in that moment.
But instead of absorbing that fear, Dre chooses something else.
He doubles down on his vision and walks his own path.
That’s rare.
Most of us do absorb it.
And without knowing it, those inherited fears show up in how we lead:
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We avoid risk.
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We struggle with conflict.
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We overreact to failure—ours or someone else’s.
So What’s the Shift?
It starts with awareness.
Recognising the difference between what’s truly ours, and what’s been handed down.
Because when we lead through someone else’s fear, we limit what’s possible.
But when we see it clearly, we gain the power to choose differently.
Want to Lead With More Clarity and Less Fear?
This is exactly what we work on in coaching—spotting inherited patterns, building emotional clarity, and making conscious choices under pressure.
If you’re ready to lead without carrying old fears forward, let’s work together.
You'll learn how to lead with more confidence, improve how you respond under stress, and shift from reacting out of fear to choosing with purpose.