The Stats
According to a HuffPost article, Michael Freeman reported that 49% of entrepreneurs struggle with a mental health condition, where depression ranks #1.
Inc. reported that 90% of CEO’s fear failure above all else.
With the constant pressure of being responsible for the profitability of their company, managing all the relationships with board members, investors, stakeholders, keeping up with changing customer trends, and analyzing feedback, strategic creation and implementation of the company’s long-term vision, and more, it’s no wonder that CEO’s fear failure above all else.
There’s A LOT of moving parts to operating a business — not to mention a large enterprise.
Throw in the responsibility of succeeding to afford your family a lifestyle of comfort and opportunity, then add the fear of failure to the already constant stress, and you have a recipe for crippling anxiety, fear, and depression.
Do you know what happens when a human being is placed under constant stress for a long period of time?
They adapt or die.
For CEO’s who want to last longer than the average shelf-life of 5 years in the CEO position, an effective personal strategy is necessary.
What’s the Strategy?
- It’s NOT learning how to manage the stress better.
- It’s NOT becoming self-aware of where the fear of failure comes from.
- It’s NOT adding self-care to daily or weekly schedules.
It’s ELIMINATING the fear of failure altogether.
This is most effectively done through a process called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
How it Works
The idea is quite simple: Take out the legs that the fear of failure stands upon, and the fear crumbles to the ground.
The legs are memories of where the fear of failure came from, stored in a neurological framework in your brain.
Those memories contain distressing elements of your experiences that were unprocessed at the time, and your brain thinks you need to hang on to it for survival purposes.
This is why that constant fear of failure could feel like you’re fighting for your life.
And for CEO’s whose job depends on how well they perform at the helm, their livelihood and reputation are on the line.
EMDR is NOT talk therapy.
It’s extremely effective because it utilizes something called Bi-Lateral Stimulation, which allows both hemispheres of the brain to work together to finally process those unprocessed memories. This allows CEO’s to shed the fear that holds them back from performing at their best – which means focusing and engaging with their responsibilities in a serious, yet, relaxed, and creative manner.
Why it’s Important
Adding unnecessary stress (like the fear of failure) decreases activation in the part of the brain that allows for creative problem solving–the prefrontal cortex.
90% of CEO’s (those who have not already eliminated their fear of failure) are fighting a battle with one hand tied behind their back.
Executive clients and purpose-driven professionals can complete my signature EMDR program in as little as a single weekend.
Others may take several months to a year when finding the right EMDR therapist.
Great CEO’s take their mindset seriously, and more and more executives and entrepreneurs are seeking help (according to Inc. 22% are seeing a therapist, and 32% are seeing an executive coach or wellness coach). These numbers should continue to grow.
The question is: “Are you adapting or dying?”