Many of us don't think of it this way, but fear drives most of what we do in our careers. We get a job because we're afraid we won't be able to make it working on our own. We don't take a lot of chances because we fair being rebuffed or making mistakes. We work hard because we're afraid of being found out or fired.

Every one of us deals with the fear question, even us independent consultants. Sometimes we acknowledge it, other times we don't think of it as fear, but it's there. How we respond to the fear issues that come into our daily and weekly lives determines how successful we will be, and what level of responsibility we're ready to accept.

CEOs of major companies didn't sit around waiting for things to happen for them. They faced their fear straight on and decided they were going to conquer it. Trying to achieve things and move up the ladder of success takes a lot of courage. It's much easier to get another job when you're resume doesn't have a lot of elevated positions listed. After all, there are way more regular jobs than managerial jobs. I look at the healthcare industry as a perfect example. Every management position is a solo deal, and the only opportunities for advancement lay in either obtaining more education or waiting for the same position to open up at another hospital. Talk about your job insecurity!

This is why I love talking to, and working with managers. It's a part of their existence that's hard to resolve, but once they do, and decide they're willing to keep moving forward, management can be a lot of fun. And that makes executive coaching a lot of fun also.