It is natural for people to fear what they don’t understand. Anyone moving through a career change will have new experiences, new things to learn, and new ways of working. Fear naturally arises. The person moving through transition should recognize that fear happens, and move ahead anyway. Thinking logically, you may want to ask yourself “what is the worst thing that can happen here?” Begin moving forward, notice the fear, let it stabilize, and move ahead a little bit more. Make this a regular habit. The process of experiencing fear and moving ahead can teach us that we have many ruts that we have established in our lives. By understanding our fear areas, we can decide where we want to go and not be overwhelmed by the fear that comes with certain change.

Fear does not have to define you. In fact, a new activity – once felt to be scary – can gradually become a comfortable and even enjoyable way of working. Once a new activity becomes a habit, there may be reasons to appreciate and enjoy it.  A business coach can help a professional learn a productive habit that moves a person past fears into transformational living.

Even as you face fears, take the time to understand the benefits of moving forward. What will you enjoy about your new way of working? Will there be better people for you to associate with? Will you be able to make better decisions about how you work? Give yourself the opportunity to review the benefits. Smile for yourself, and realize that you are moving closer to these things you have wanted in the way you work. Good things are coming!

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You have greatness within you.

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Think for a moment about important transitions in your life. You graduated high school, you probably went to college. You were married. You joined a sports team. In all these situations a person has started something new. However, in career transitions the transition is about ending something.

In 1944, United States was attacked by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor. Quite suddenly the United States moved from a sluggish, peaceful economy into an economy geared for war, ready to seek revenge, and one in which young men were expected to leave their homes and go overseas in uniforms – possibly to lose their lives for the good of the country. This transition is similar in some ways to help people feel when they get fired. A way of life is been ended, and whether it was a great way of life doesn’t matter, because the person usually feels comfortable and secure in what has been going on before. The transition forces one to think about big changes in the future. And the way forward is not understood.

A person in transition may feel “a bouquet” of intense emotions. The person who is changing a career whether voluntary or not may feel some of these emotional states: fear, denial, anger, helplessness, sadness, frustration, uncertainty, and a big sense of loss. Chances are very good you have felt some of these things as you moved through your transition. These emotions can be powerful and can distract a person from reaching their most important goals. Nevertheless, it is possible for person to achieve great results even in the face of negative and distracting emotions.  A career coach can help a person move through the challenge of transition and find confidence in a new leadership position.

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Make 2013 be the year you break through past patterns and create your success. 

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I showed up at Jack's office to talk about our common business interests.  He directed me to a table dominated by a video screen suitable for a Superbowl party: it was huge.  During our discussion (which was non-technical) Jack went out of his way to show me the software his system runs on the huge screen.   Even though there were only two of us at this meeting, a third force was present - the computer monitor.  It never spoke - however Jack kept pushing me to look at his system.

Some people seemingly don't hold a conversation with others without their laptop or tablet.  They claim table space for their technology - and if you don't claim your space early enough, then the tablet will hold the prime position.  I find this experience impersonal; one person seems to be saying "What does technology say?  We don't have to wait to find out."

When the computer takes center stage, then the opportunity for human discourse goes down.  All it takes is one person to present their iPad in the surface area, between two people, and the focus is now on the device. Humanity has stepped aside.

Here is my priority:  people come first.  If a person has bought an iPad, that's wonderful.  Enjoy it.  Don't put it between us.  Don't force me to look at your laptop screen, or stare upward into your mega screen. People are more important than their devices.

ASK PERMISSION.  If you want to add a screen into a conversation, ask permission.  "Do you mind if I show you something?" Keep the control as a shared experience about the people who are present.   The person without an operating system may feel better about being included if his or her opinion is consulted.

KEEP PHONES IN SILENT OR BUZZ MODE.  If you are talking to me, make me a priority.  If you interrupt our experience to take a phone call from anyone, I feel devalued.  I really don't mind hearing the phone "buzz" as long as it is not ringing- but the person you are with may feel differently.  And if you are expecting an important phone call, let the other person know that this is an important exception - not the way you want to work.   Don't let routine distractions keep you from connecting with the other person.

SEND FOLLOW UP MATERIALS.  I'll be glad to look at your PowerPoint, video, or table of details.  Give them to me as a follow up to the meeting.  Unless I agreed to see these materials before the meeting, I resent having someone set the direction of the meeting with their software.  I like discussions between people to include questions, exploration, and connection.  The software files keep us apart.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN? The tablet or mobile phone may show us the facts. It really takes a person to an interpret them. People are searching for meaning all the time. A person who can speak to the meaning level will be listening to. It helps to turn off the tablet and pay attention to people.

Some people seem to thrive with their technology connection. All too often however, technology puts us into a passive state, it separates us, and turns our attention to software. If you deal with someone who separates your engagement with a laptop screen, be gentle and be friendly. Ignore the laptop and tell the other person what it means to you. Strive to build a better interpersonal connection.

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You have greatness within you.

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By way of contrast, the authentic relationship is one where both parties are willing to explore depth discussion, deepen the level of disclosure and personal interest, and treat each party as a respected colleague – or better. I have been in some working environments where authenticity just isn’t expected. You probably have seen this too. I have come to the point in my life where authenticity and real connection with people is an important foundational quality for everyone that I work with. If I’m going to be treated as an object, I would rather not play. Sometimes, it’s even painful to participate in a transactional relationship.

  This essay will be continued in two additional parts.

Great science fiction excites the imagination. Science fiction describes a world of possibility. Leaders do the same thing. A leader may be able to show other people the exciting world of the future. So if you’re like me, you’ve read your share of speculative fiction. These works of fiction may be able to teach us something about great leadership.

No matter where you started from, you may soon be a leader. Luke Skywalker started on lonely world, collecting moisture and repairing droids. Eventually he became a great Jedi. The leader that you admire in real life may have had an equally humble beginning. The lessons that we take from a humble start can shape our character and create leadership. A fancy leadership academy isn’t required.

Big battles, big challenges – leaders are formed in the center of conflict. Giant space battles, invasions from outer space, plots to destroy the earth – science fiction often poses larger-than-life problems. The skillful intervention of a leader helps to make life safe again. In the world I live in, and probably your world too, big challenges often surprise us. Only when a person with strong character makes a decision, saves the planet, and supports an intergalactic treaty, will the big problem resolve itself. Many leaders are noticed by the way they resolve the problem. Sometimes it takes a huge problem for us to notice the leader we need.

Sometimes the leader surprises us. In a great science fiction work, it often isn’t clear who will be the leader at the end of the story. Sometimes the leader starts out as a rather meek character. The leader of the future may be an artistic, sensitive and withdrawn in the first part of the story. And where is Clark Kent when the world is getting stressful? It is often the person we are not expecting who sets everything right. In the real world, leaders are like this too. The emerging leader today may look quite different from the person solve the problem last year. Don’t expect your leaders to be carbon copies or cast from a single mold. They often look quite different.

The great leader may have a quality of surprising innocence. In the novel Dune, Paul Atreides is the son of a nobleman, goes to live in the desert after his father is murdered, learns the way of the native peoples, and challenges the great galactic empire. The best leader is often the person that can be trusted, not because he wields great power, but because he or she knows the way of the people. That innocent leader may know things about what is important to the ordinary people that the high and mighty don't comprehend.

The leader has a vision.  In the Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen never felt comfortable working with the elite people in the capital city.  She knew the people of District 12, and she understood that all the other districts were fighting to end hunger and determine their own destiny.  She had a vision of freedom.  In the world of business and politics, leaders help us to understand that change is possible and share their vision with us.  That is what Martin Luther King Jr. did. Even though it is intangible, a leader’s vision can have profound effects on the world. In science fiction and in reality, a well stated vision will capture the efforts of followers around the leader.

Science fiction often deals in world changing drama. The stories of science fiction would not be interesting if they were not people polled in different directions. Great stories are formed on conflict and change. Science fiction stories can do this on a grander scale than a romantic escapade. The impact of leaders are told vividly in the world of science fiction.