In response to the posts addressing “Fear,” and specifically, Brezina’s comment, a reader writes:

“Well said. Fear is always a negative reaction to something. The only positive way it is used is to defend yourself such as installing a home security system because I fear having my house broke into, or I had better shoot the enemy first out of fear that I will be shot. However, in the education world, ‘prudence, determination, will power, and the drive to be successful and achieve’ have little to do with fear and more to do with accomplishment and rewards.”

SC Response
I like your comment, but I don’t always see fear as a negative. For me personally, fear spurs growth. I often do things that invoke fear because that is where I find I grow the most. I ski the diamond slopes to push me past the brink of my abilities, to force myself to be mentally and physically tough, and to make me a better skier.

When Brezina hired me for my first principalship, I was way too young and way too inexperienced. I was the second youngest adult on the campus and for the first semester, on the inside, I was scared everyday. That forced me to over work, over read, over prepare and over think everything I did. And that made me a better principal and better leader.

If you don’t experience a little fear every once in a while, that probably means that you are playing it a little too safe, or you never went to a Brezina budget meeting.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn…