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Chief in Tech S1E12 - Lakecia Gunter: #FearlessRoarMore: Cultivating Courage in Leadership and Innovation · Chief in Tech Deep Dive Shortcast

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  Welcome to the Deep Dive. We sift through the
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  information so you don't have to. Today, we're
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  doing a really critical deep dive. We're looking
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  at cultivating courage, overcoming fear, to really
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  unlock potential, especially in competitive spaces
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  like the tech sector. That's right. And our mission
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  here is, well, pretty focused. Finding actionable
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  ways to genuinely fear less and roar more. This
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  isn't just talk. It's about fundamentally changing
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  our relationship with fear so it stops being
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  the limiting factor. And the economic angle here,
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  it's, wow, it's staggering. Let's just jump into
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  the numbers. Only 7 % of startups have a female
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  founder. Just 7%. That's incredibly low. And
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  it immediately signals a huge missed opportunity.
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  Exactly. Because when you look at performance,
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  companies with diverse leadership, they're actually
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  21 % more likely to outperform their competitors.
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  And that gap isn't just theoretical. The research
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  points to a, well, a shocking $2 trillion opportunity
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  gap. A trillion? Yes, in tech alone. It's economic
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  value just left on the table because talent isn't
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  being fully represented or empowered. It really
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  puts it in perspective. This isn't, you know,
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  just a social issue. It's fundamental to business
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  success. The data shows companies with more women
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  leaders achieve 34 % higher ROI. 34 %? Yep, globally.
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  Only 27 % of tech leadership roles are held by
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  women. So the main point for you listening is
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  empowering women in tech isn't some side project.
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  It's actually central to driving innovation and
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  frankly, better business results. Yeah. The potential
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  just sitting there untapped. It's enormous. Okay,
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  so let's unpack how we get there. We have to
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  start by acknowledging fear itself. It's universal,
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  right? Our bodies, our brains, they're literally
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  wired for it, for survival. Absolutely. It's
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  built in. But the danger, as the source has warned,
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  is that if we let that fear run the show unchecked,
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  it keeps us locked in what they call the prison
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  of the comfortable and predictable. Safe, but
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  small. And we never reach our actual potential.
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  That prison, it's kind of maintained by those
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  inner voices, isn't it? Oh, definitely. The inner
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  monologue is the jailer. Yeah, and the material
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  highlighted some really common ones. Just as
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  you're thinking about a big move, they hit you
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  with things like, you'll fail spectacularly.
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  Or you're unworthy. You're a total imposter.
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  You have no power here. Yeah, all designed to
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  make you just stop, stay put. And sometimes they
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  all pile on at once, right? It feels overwhelming,
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  like doing nothing is the only smart move. It
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  really can feel that way. So the big question
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  is, how do we push past that, that inner noise?
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  Well, this is where the material offers a fascinating
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  perspective shift right away. Experiencing fear.
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  It's not actually a signal to stop. Oh. No. It's
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  seen as a prerequisite for any real positive
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  change or growth. You have to feel it to move
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  forward. The core idea is transforming how we
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  see that fear. OK. So if fear isn't a stop sign,
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  what is it then? The critical definition provided
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  is this. Fear is an emotion. And emotions. Well,
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  emotions are data, not direction. Data, not direction.
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  Okay. You have to acknowledge the feeling, the
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  data point. But you absolutely refuse to let
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  that feeling dictate your path or override your
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  intelligence. Yeah. You collect the data, you
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  process it, and then your brain, your intellect,
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  decides the next move. I find that incredibly
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  helpful. Data, not direction. And that flows
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  right into reframing it, like that popular acronym,
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  FEAR. Right. False evidence appearing real because
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  let's be honest most of the terrible things we
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  imagine They just don't happen do they very rarely
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  and the reframing advice pushes this further
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  change the mental sound associated with fear
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  instead of like Police siren or an ambulance
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  siren danger warning. Yeah, think of it more
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  like an ice cream truck siren. You hear the noise
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  It's loud maybe even a little annoying, but it
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  signals something good something rewarding is
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  actually on the other side Okay, I like the concept,
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  but let me push back slightly here. False evidence
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  appearing real. That works great if I'm, say,
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  afraid to make a sales call. But what about when
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  the fear feels rational? Like a high -stakes
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  decision, a big investment, where failure has
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  real significant consequences. How does data,
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  not direction, work when the evidence isn't false?
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  That's a really important question. And the framework
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  still applies, actually. Even when the fear is
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  rational, when the data points to genuine risk,
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  the fear is still data. OK. It's valuable data
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  telling you, hey, Here are the potential pitfalls.
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  Here's where you need to be careful. So it prompts
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  you to prepare better, to gather more information,
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  maybe build in some safety nets or adjust the
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  plan. The fear informs your strategy. Ah, I see.
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  So it doesn't mean ignore the risk. It means
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  use the fear data to mitigate the risk intelligently.
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  Exactly. You acknowledge it. OK, fear. I see
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  you. Point taken. Then you move past it, feel
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  it, use it to prepare, and operate through it,
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  but smartly. That makes a lot more sense. It
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  becomes a catalyst for smarter action, not paralysis.
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  Which leads to this really counterintuitive piece
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  of advice we found. To live your best life, you
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  should actually allow yourself to experience
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  more fear. Yeah, that sounds backwards, doesn't
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  it? Yeah. But the idea is to actively invest
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  in mastering things you fear. Like deliberately
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  choosing scary things. In a controlled way, yes.
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  Things like public speaking if that terrifies
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  you or asking for that promotion or leading a
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  project outside your comfort zone. You intentionally
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  operate through the fear because that's how you
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  build the mental muscle, the resilience for bigger
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  unknowns later. It sounds like making a very
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  conscious decision, a commitment. It absolutely
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  is. Think about powerful historical examples
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  like Rosa Parks. Her action wasn't just a sudden
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  impulse. It came from a mind that was already
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  made up. Doubt and fear had been dealt with beforehand.
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  When you are truly resolute, fear loses its grip.
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  Okay. That's a strong foundation. Let's move
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  into the practical strategies than the four antidotes
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  the sources offer to cultivate courage. Antidote
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  number one is creating a growth mindset. Yes.
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  The work popularized by Carol Dweck. It's fundamental.
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  A growth mindset means you believe your abilities
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  can be developed through dedication and hard
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  work. It's about focusing on effort, learning,
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  strategy. not just innate talent. And that completely
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  changes how you view failure, right? Totally.
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  It's captured perfectly in that quote from Sandra
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  Rivera. I never lose. I either win or I learn.
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  I love that. Win or learn. Failure isn't the
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  end. It's just feedback. Exactly. So being fearless
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  in this context doesn't mean you don't feel fear.
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  It means you push through it because, you know,
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  whatever the outcome, you'll gain something valuable,
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  either the win or the lesson. And preparation
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  is key to that. Absolutely crucial. The material
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  stresses. Collect data. Talk to experts. Get
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  honest feedback from people you trust. You build
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  confidence not by ignoring fear, but by arming
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  yourself with information and support. You replace
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  raw emotion with, well, actionable intelligence.
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  We saw a really powerful example of this, didn't
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  we? The story about nearly letting fear derail,
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  applying for that technical assistant and chief
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  of staff role to the Intel CEO. Oh yeah, the
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  TA role to Brian Krzanich. That's a huge role.
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  Basically, the CEO's right hand involved in everything
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  at the highest level. Immense pressure, immense
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  visibility, career making or breaking. Definitely.
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  And the inner voice was loud then. Deafening,
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  apparently. You're not qualified. You won't even
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  get an interview. All of that. But the turning
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  point, the winning strategy, came from a core
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  realization. Fear is temporary, but regret is
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  forever. Wow. That's a powerful calculation.
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  It is. That understanding provided the conviction
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  to just push the temporary fear aside and focus
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  on building a strategy to actually win the role.
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  Not just apply, but win it. That really cuts
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  through the paralysis. And it reminds me of that
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  Oprah quote, you know, a queen is not afraid
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  to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to
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  greatness. With a growth mindset, failure just
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  becomes fuel. Precisely. Which brings us nicely
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  to the second antidote. building a strong network.
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  Relationships, the sources say, fundamentally
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  shape your future trajectory, especially when
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  aiming higher. I thought the metaphor used here
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  was really effective, stepping out onto a high
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  wire, feeling alone. But your network, that's
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  the net below you. It provides that psychological
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  safety, that confidence boost you need to even
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  take the first step out there. And it has to
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  be intentional. This isn't just your holiday
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  card list. It's a network you actively cultivate
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  for specific things. Coaching, solid advice,
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  tough feedback when you need it, and importantly,
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  people who help you envision a bigger future
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  than maybe you see for yourself right now. And
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  a key part of that network is advocacy, isn't
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  it? People who, as the source puts it, wear your
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  t -shirt when you're not in the room. Yes. That's
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  critical. People who will speak up for you, endorse
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  your skills, mention your name in meetings you're
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  not even in. Without advocates, even the best
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  talent can get overlooked. OK, so growth mindset,
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  strong network. What's the third antidote? The
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  third is practice resilience. If the network
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  is your external support, resilience is your
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  internal shock absorber. It's about building
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  a supportive inner environment. And what does
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  that involve? Key components mentioned are optimism,
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  adaptability, really prioritizing self -care.
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  You can't bounce back if you're running on empty
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  and, crucially, self -awareness, knowing your
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  triggers, your strengths, your patterns. There
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  is a really challenging idea linked to resilience.
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  The obstacle is the way forward. That sounds
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  counterintuitive. We usually try to avoid obstacles.
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  Right, but this perspective flips it. Instead
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  of seeing a setback or failure as a dead end,
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  you view it as a necessary part of the path.
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  It forces you to ask a powerful question. How
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  can this thing that feels like the worst thing
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  that happened actually become one of the best
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  things for my growth? So you actively look for
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  the lesson, the strengths gained, immediately.
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  Immediately. You mine the obstacle for wisdom
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  instead of just, you know, getting bogged down
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  by the frustration. That is resilience in action.
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  That idea of deep commitment and also drawing
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  strength from others belief in you really came
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  through in the story about Pamela Lardy. Oh,
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  Pete Lardy. Yes, a powerful story. In March 2009,
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  she apparently saw a huge potential calling the
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  speaker Intel's next rock star and planting the
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  seed for that ambitious chief of staff to a goal.
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  And then the timing just devastating. She passed
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  away tragically the very next day, April 1st,
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  2009. Wow. To receive that kind of vision, that
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  belief from someone like her and then lose her
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  immediately. That must create an incredible sense
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  of. Responsibility. Legacy. Exactly. The sources
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  suggest that honoring Pete's vision, the potential
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  she saw, became a driving force. When you're
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  committed to something bigger than yourself,
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  a legacy, someone else's belief in you, it can
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  provide this incredible anchor. It helps you
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  push through your own fear and doubt because
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  it's not just about you anymore. That commitment
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  overrides the easier, more comfortable choice.
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  It fueled achieving that goal eventually. It
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  seems central to it, that profound sense of purpose.
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  Okay, which leads us to the fourth and final
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  antidote. making bold decisions fear -proof.
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  And the message here was pretty clear. The time
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  for boldness is now. Yes, but fear -proofing
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  isn't about being reckless. It's about having
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  a methodology for bold action. The sources lay
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  out a kind of practical roadmap, six steps to
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  make bold moves feel, well, safer. Okay, let's
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  walk through those. What's step one? First, the
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  foundation. Educate yourself. Gather that data.
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  Know your stuff. Second, surround yourself with
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  support that's your network, your personal board
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  of advisors, the t -shirt wearers we talked about.
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  Got it. Data and support. What's third? Third,
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  actively seek out diverse opinions. Challenge
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  your own thinking. Don't just listen to people
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  who agree on you. Fourth, take risks, yes, but
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  experiment as you go. The phrase used was, try,
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  build, adjust. Try, build, adjust. I like that.
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  It sounds iterative, less like one giant leap
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  off a cliff. Exactly. You take a calculated step,
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  try. See what happens. Build on what works. And
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  then tweak your approach based on feedback. Adjust.
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  It de -risks the whole process because you're
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  learning and course correcting constantly. Makes
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  the bold decision feel less final. OK, that's
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  four. What are the last two? Fifth, visualize
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  success. See yourself winning prepare your mind
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  for the positive outcome you're aiming for and
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  finally sixth the most important step perhaps
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  Take action commit to the journey and actually
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  do it So these four antidotes together the growth
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  mindset the strong network resilience and this
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  fear -proofing method They don't magically erase
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  fear do no not at all. Yeah fear will likely
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  still show up But the cumulative effect is that
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  they transform fear. It goes from being this
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  paralyzing force to just, well back to what we
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  said earlier, it's data. Data that informs your
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  preparation, strengthens your resolve, and directs
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  your next smart step. Right. So we started this
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  deep dive looking at that huge $2 trillion opportunity
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  gap in tech. We moved through understanding fear
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  not as a command, but just as information, as
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  data. Data, not direction. And we landed on these
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  four really concrete antidotes, these methods
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  to actively cultivate courage and take action
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  despite the fear. Growth mindset, network, resilience,
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  and fear proofing. So for you listening right
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  now, think back. What were those things you said
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  you'd do if fear wasn't holding you back? Maybe
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  it was quitting that job to start your own thing.
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  Asking for that big promotion or raise. Or maybe
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  something totally different like, I don't know,
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  swimming with sharks in Australia, whatever it
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  was. The strategies we've talked about, they
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  provide the how, the growth mindset to handle
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  setbacks, the network for support, the resilience
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  to keep going, the fear -proofing to take smart
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  steps. They give you the mechanism to actually
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  go after those things. It puts the power back
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  in your hands. It does. And maybe a final thought
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  to leave you with. If we accept that fear is
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  just data, and if we adopt that win or learn
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  growth mindset, then success in a way is guaranteed
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  because you learn from every single attempt.
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  So if learning is guaranteed, then the biggest
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  risk you're actually taking isn't failure. The
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  biggest risk is settling. Settling for the known,
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  the comfortable. the path that guarantees a ceiling
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  on your potential. Wow, that flips the idea of
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  risk completely. So the question becomes, what
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  is one small, maybe slightly scary thing you
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  will intentionally invest in mastering this week
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  as a way to honor the potential that maybe someone
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  else, like Pete LaReeby, already sees in you?