Fear in Leadership: How Emotional Triggers Shape Team Dynamics

“Uh huh.”

That’s all she said. But everyone in the executive team meeting knew exactly what it meant.

The Chief Marketing Officer had just been challenged on a budget decision, and instead of engaging, she shut down completely. Arms crossed. Eyes distant. The telltale “uh huh” that signaled she was done participating.

It happens every time someone questions her ideas or gets what she perceives as “more” attention, resources, or credit. And every time, the same pattern unfolds: she withdraws, the team works around her, and a brilliant leader with genuine expertise gets marginalized in her own meetings.

The heartbreaking part? She’s incredibly talented with a big heart. But she’s getting in her own way—and taking her team’s effectiveness down with her.

Nobody sets out to be an ineffective leader. Most of the time, we’re doing the best we can with the pressure, deadlines, and team dynamics swirling around us. But when a leader’s behavior consistently gets in their own way—or derails their team—it’s rarely because they don’t care.

It’s usually because fear is quietly running the show.

In this case, I believe it’s fear of being treated unfairly, fear of being overlooked.

These fears trigger protective behaviors—withholding, gatekeeping, shutting down—that feel necessary in the moment but ultimately create the very outcome she’s trying to avoid.

Here’s what I’ve learned: Individual fear becomes collective dysfunction. When one leader consistently reacts from fear, it doesn’t just limit them—it reshapes how the entire team operates. They start tiptoeing, working around, losing respect.

The question isn’t “Am I a good or bad leader?” It’s: “When stress hits my team, what fear am I bringing to the room—and what would it look like to choose differently?”

Because sometimes the very behaviors we use to protect ourselves are the ones that push others away.

How do you handle it when someone’s fear shows up in the room?

Hey there! I’m a leadership team whisperer, executive coach, and speaker. I guide leadership teams in high-growth companies to achieve rapid growth in a healthy, sustainable way. I coach senior leaders to discover the path to lead with ease.

Like this post? Want to see more? Connect with me on LinkedIn.