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3 Ways to Overcome the Fear of Business Uncertainty

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Life doesn’t have a “pause” button. Even if it did, I’d tell you not to push it. Yes, being an entrepreneur during COVID-19 is scary, but fear of failure in business is simply part of the journey. Ironically, it’s also a great motivator.

When I launched my first business, I was scared to death. I was supposed to be the breadwinner. What would our family do if I failed? I didn’t want to find out, so I became incredibly resourceful, never allowing the risk and uncertainty inherent to business capsize my dreams. My experience showed me how to use fear as a positive springboard rather than as a reason to throw in the towel.

The COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t been kind to the startup community. Nevertheless, plenty of entrepreneurs will come out on top when all is said and done. Those business leaders will have something in common: They’ll share an unwillingness to quit in the face of something out of their control.

If you’ve toyed with putting your business on hold or pulling back over the past few months, ask yourself whether you’re allowing fear to take the wheel. I can assure you that fear is not a good navigator because it blinds your perspective. Case in point: Consider all the companies slashing their advertising budgets. They’re afraid of overspending. Undoubtedly, they’ll save upfront — but at what cost? Without advertising, they’ll lessen the likelihood of securing new customers when they need them most.

“If uncertainty is unacceptable to you, it turns into fear. If it is perfectly acceptable, it turns into increased aliveness, alertness, and creativity.” — Eckhart Tolle

How to Overcome Your Business-Related Fears

Now is not the time to hesitate — it’s the time to go the extra mile and do the extraordinary things that entrepreneurs experiencing fear of failure aren’t considering. Recently, a barber told me he was afraid to renovate his shop during quarantine. If I had been his advisor, I would have encouraged him to do it anyway. What better time to spruce up your environment than when you don’t have to worry about displacing customers?

I realize that money might be a sticking point, and economics does come into play. You might be working with the thinnest shoestring budget on earth. But whether you’re facing COVID-19 or not, that’s a common experience for all entrepreneurs and not a reason to bring your operations or desire to innovate to a standstill.

If you’re feeling unsettled because you haven’t figured out how to overcome fear, I understand. But you have more power than you might think. Instead of drowning in negative thoughts, engage in a few strategies to move past your initial fear reactions.

1. Find an anchor in your beliefs

Entrepreneurship and faith go hand in hand. Without faith, you’ll have trouble facing entrepreneurship and failure with a winning attitude.

When I started my career, I tried to sell vacuum cleaners and then life insurance. I couldn’t sell either. Was I a bad salesperson? No — I just had zero faith in my products. Once I realized the core issue, I transitioned to working in fields that aligned with my beliefs. And you know what? I worked harder than ever and spurred tremendous momentum.

Today, I own nine businesses. I believe deeply in their missions. I also trust that they can be successful. Rather than give in to self-doubt, I embrace the idea that the teams we’ve built so carefully will keep us going. Our employees won’t stop plugging away, even with the uncertain business environment brought about by the pandemic. Neither will I.

Remember, entrepreneurship without faith is a recipe for disaster. Longtime entrepreneurs often speak of “miracle” stories when recalling their pasts. Those miracles happened because the founders had the faith to avoid the trap of negative thinking. In other words, they used faith to tackle their fear of failure.

2. Adopt a knowledge-centric lifestyle

If fear is a snake bite, education is the anti-venom. It can be tough to read about COVID-19. Do it anyway. Find out about the incredible steps businesses around the world are taking to disrupt and stay the course despite the coronavirus.

The more you study crisis management in general — and with this crisis in particular — the better your leadership skills will become. Plus, having a wealth of information will help you overcome your fear of failure. You’ll be surprised at how quickly thoughtful reading and contemplation will ease your stress. Fear has no power when you know what you’re up against.

In addition to learning about other leaders’ responses to the coronavirus, use these moments to become more of an industry expert. Expertise helps you envision and create the future, and experts inspire those around them. Help your teams build their collective know-how, too. Set up virtual or on-site trainings, discuss ways to make your operations more efficient, brainstorm customer service upgrades, update your website content, and leverage any downtime to prepare for a major rebound.

“Faith means living with uncertainty – feeling your way through life, letting your heart guide you like a lantern in the dark.” – Dan Millman

3. Surround yourself with support

As entrepreneurs, we’re going up this twisting, turning, crazy mountain together. I know I want at least a few guides who have been through similar journeys so they can provide advice and encouragement. You should have some, too.

Now isn’t the time to seclude yourself. Get in touch with the guides in your community so they can help you navigate through this period. It can be lonely and isolating if you let it.

Your network of friends and colleagues could include a social organization, Facebook group, formal advisors and mentors, or even investors. Look for ways to counsel one another without judgment; this will help everyone overcome business fear and setbacks.

Make no mistake, I understand the desire to stop in the middle of the road. Don’t give in to negative thinking, though. Instead, chug forward after business setbacks with help from your passion, knowledge, and support team. An oasis could be just around the bend, but you’ll never find it if you’re guided by fear.

The president and CEO of DeLine Holdings, Greg DeLine is an entrepreneur and philanthropist. Greg has started and owned more than a dozen successful companies. He has a passion for relationships and helping others reach their full potential. In addition to leading various companies, Greg is the president of the board for Phoenix Programs, past president and current board member of Love INC, and a Leadership Circle level sponsor of the Heart of Missouri United Way. A lifelong Mizzou athletics fan, Greg is an Ambassador level member of the University of Missouri’s Jefferson Club.

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Business

The Entrepreneur’s Reading List That Transforms Ideas Into Empires

These must-read titles and writing insights reveal how entrepreneurs turn bold ideas into empire-level success.

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top entrepreneurship books for business growth
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Entrepreneurship is powered by stories—of accomplishment, failure, and decision moments that define businesses. Books are maps, providing insight from individuals who’ve traversed the road ahead. (more…)

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Entrepreneurs

The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025

Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

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Bridging the gap between employees and employers
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In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”

While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.

Why This Gap Exists

Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.

What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.

Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap

Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.

1. Practice Mutual Empathy

Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.

2. Maintain Professional Boundaries

Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.

3. Follow the Golden Rule

Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.

4. Avoid Micromanagement

Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.

5. Empower Employees to Grow

Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.

6. Communicate in All Directions

Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.

7. Overcome Insecurities

Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.

8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship

True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.

9. Eliminate Favoritism

Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.

10. Recognize Efforts Promptly

Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.

11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews

When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.

12. Provide Leadership Development

Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.

13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles

Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.

The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role

Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:

  • Build diverse talent pipelines

  • Embrace flexible work models

  • Design compelling career paths

  • Simplify HR processes

  • Redefine the value HR brings

The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.

Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff

When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.

Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.

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Entrepreneurs

What Makes an Entrepreneurial Leader? Traits of the World’s Best Innovators

Inside the mindset of entrepreneurial leaders who transform risk, passion, and vision into world-changing results.

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When you think of Richard Branson (Virgin Group), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple), Rupert Murdoch (News Corporation), and Ted Turner (CNN), one thing becomes clear: they are not just entrepreneurs, they are entrepreneurial leaders. (more…)

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Entrepreneurs

Building a Business Empire: Lessons from the World’s Boldest Entrepreneurs

Learn essential lessons, success strategies, and mindset shifts every aspiring entrepreneur needs to overcome challenges and build a thriving business.

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Back in July 2017, I attended a business seminar on entrepreneurship in India. With my appetite for learning and meeting new people, I wanted to explore the latest developments in the entrepreneurial world. (more…)

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