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Many of us are prone to inaction. We can cite various reasons for this, including a lack of motivation, a reluctance to venture past our comfort zones, or a lack of clarity and direction. But, these tend to be symptoms of something else: a crippling fear of failure.

As such, having a fear of failure can sabotage our career growth. After all, how can we earn the opportunity to lead others if we can’t even inspire action in ourselves?

Clearly, we need to develop a bias for action if we want to move ahead in our jobs.

Overcoming the Fear

As a leadership coaching professional, I can offer from experience that many “would-be” leaders suffer from some form of fear of failure. Much of it stems from deep-rooted perfectionism fueled by exceedingly negative self-talk. Getting after their fear of failure is often the most effective place to begin in helping these kinds of individuals to get over the hump and on to developing a bias for action, which can position them for continued career progression.

Here are six strategies that I use to help my leadership coaching clients:

1. Recognize That It's Normal: First and foremost, understand that fear of failure is a normal human emotion. Everyone, at some point in their life, experiences this fear. It's a natural part of striving for success.
2. Set Realistic Expectations: Often, the fear of failure arises when we set unrealistic expectations for ourselves. Set achievable goals and break them down into smaller, manageable steps. This can make the process less daunting and reduce the fear associated with potential failure.
3. Visualize Success: Visualization techniques can help reduce fear and anxiety. Spend some time visualizing yourself succeeding in your endeavors. This can boost your confidence and reduce the fear of failure.
4. Reframe Failure: Instead of seeing failure as a negative outcome, try to view it as a learning experience. Many successful people have encountered failure multiple times on their path to success. Failure can be a valuable teacher, helping you grow and improve.
5. Flip Your Script: Pay attention to that internal chatter that is going on between your ears all day long. Catch yourself being negative or critical about something you did (or didn't do). Shift the dialogue to a more positive and growth-oriented sentiment. Instead of calling yourself names when you make a mistake, change the language to be about gaining the opportunity to learn something new. With that mindset, failure becomes a chance to grow and something that should not be feared.
6. Practice self-compassion: Be kind and forgiving to yourself when you do encounter failure. Understand that everyone makes mistakes, and it doesn't define your worth as a person. Treat yourself with the same compassion you would offer to a friend.

Above all else, remember that overcoming the fear of failure is a process, and it may take time. Be patient with yourself and keep working on building your confidence and resilience. With practice and the right mindset, you can reduce the fear of failure and replace it with a bias for action.

Developing a Bias For Action

Accountability and forging a bias for action go hand in hand. I’ve found that helping clients recognize that they are accountable to the people whom they lead can be an important first step toward helping them develop an action-oriented mindset.

By setting accountability as a foundation stone, and tying to that the responsibility to act, we can focus effort on the basic mechanics of taking action. Helping clients with setting goals and deadlines, breaking larger tasks into smaller steps, priority-setting, and execution planning are all part of the work required for them to the build confidence needed to adopt a bias for action.

With that, many of the same practices offered above apply here, as well. For example, it is important for leaders to embrace their imperfections and accept for normal the fact that not every action taken will yield desired outcomes. Similarly, visualizing success helps reinforce an action orientation. And, of course, changing one’s self-talk only serves to boost confidence and motivation.

Of course, this is only the beginning. Indeed, most times, these steps are not enough to inspire change and to develop a bias for action. It’s then that I begin to promote and help coaching clients develop these behaviors:

Eradicate “Analysis Paralysis”: Leaders must avoid overthinking or over-analyzing situations to the point of inaction. While thoughtful consideration is valuable, I teach my clients to not let it paralyze them. I encourage them to trust their instincts and make decisions.

Develop a Thirst for Learning: Leaders must view each action as an opportunity to learn and grow. Even if the outcome is not what they wanted, they can gain valuable insights that will inform and stimulate future actions.

Cultivate a Growth Mindset: When leaders adopt a mindset that values effort and perseverance, they begin to see challenges as opportunities for growth rather than as threats that lead to fear and loathing.

Celebrate Successes: I like to help leaders acknowledge and celebrate their achievements, no matter how small they appear to be. Positive reinforcement from a coach can reinforce their bias for action.

To close, developing the habit of taking initiative, being proactive, and continuously pushing yourself out of your comfort zone exercises and develops new intellectual “muscle.” It is the kind of muscle needed to overcome a fear of failure. It is the kind of muscle needed to increase productivity and leadership effectiveness, which often leads to unabashed personal and professional success.

More importantly, though, it beats living "prophylactically," unwilling to take action out of an inappropriate fear of failure.