Anxiety

 

For most of my life, anxiety has silently accompanied me.

At school, it stopped me putting my hand up in class.

At university, it forced me to forego tutorials.

Throughout my career, it limited networking opportunities, held me back from conversations I wanted to have, and required me to be more resourceful and diligent to deliver the same results and ambitions.

Outside work, it narrowed the travel, adventure and exploration I imagined for myself.

For years I viewed anxiety only as something that limited my life and took things away.

Lately, I've started asking a different question.

What if, alongside its costs, anxiety has also shaped some of my greatest strengths?

Because when you've spent a lifetime noticing who feels uncomfortable, you become very good at seeing the people others miss - or dismiss.

In meetings, I consciously leave space for quieter voices.

When I'm leading teams, workshops or projects, I try to hear from the people who haven't yet spoken - not because they have less to say, but because they may need a different invitation to contribute.

I've also come to appreciate that communication is far bigger than conversation.

It's found in music, art, drama, diagrams, maths, chemistry, photographs, videos and sketches. It's found in working across cultures and languages, and in collaborating remotely with colleagues on different continents. Sometimes the clearest ideas are expressed better without the spoken word. And some of us need different opportunities to contribute than spoken-word meetings.

Anxiety is not a gift I would have chosen.

But it has taught me empathy. It has made me more observant. It has encouraged me to build environments where different personalities and communication styles can thrive.

I believe that is one of the marks of inclusive leadership - not expecting everyone to communicate like we do, but creating opportunities for everyone to be heard.

I'd be interested to know: has a challenge you've faced unexpectedly shaped the way you lead or work with others?