Breaking the Fear Barrier

About the Author

Tom Rieger is a senior practice expert with Gallup Inc., renowned for his expertise in identifying and correcting barriers to success within organizations. Before joining Gallup, Rieger designed and ran a global customer measurement program for a Fortune 100 company. He holds a Master of Science degree in Industrial Administration from Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business, which he received in 1986. His book, Breaking the Fear Barrier: How Fear Destroys Companies From the Inside Out and What to Do About It, draws on extensive research and real-world examples to illuminate how fear-based behaviors can cripple organizations.

Main Idea

Breaking the Fear Barrier delves into the destructive power of fear within companies and offers practical strategies for leaders to overcome these barriers. Fear can manifest in various forms, such as fear of not meeting goals, losing respect, or not receiving bonuses, leading to the creation of internal barriers that protect certain groups while harming others. Rieger emphasizes that these barriers can spread rapidly if left unchecked, ultimately stifling success and innovation. However, through courageous leadership and a thorough understanding of fear's mechanisms, organizations can dismantle these barriers and achieve transformational success.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Fear of Loss
3. Parochialism
4. Territorialism
5. Empire Building
6. The Cost of Fear
7. Overcoming Parochialism
8. Overcoming Territorialism
9. Overcoming Empire Building
10. Courage Enablers
11. Beware of Courage Killers
12. The Leadership Imperative
13. The Fearless Company

Introduction

In the aftermath of the Great Recession, many organizations are struggling with widespread loss and fear, leading them to question whether they can ever regain the competitive edge and pride that once drove their success. However, Rieger insists that hope still exists within every employee, manager, and leader. To unleash this hope, organizations must destroy the barriers created by fear. Understanding how fear works and how these barriers are constructed is the first step towards overcoming them.

Fear of Loss

Fear of loss is a pervasive issue within organizations, driving employees and managers to protect themselves by creating barriers that benefit one group while harming others. These barriers can manifest as red tape, interdepartmental conflict, and restrictive policies. Rieger's research, conducted with colleagues at Gallup, found that fear of loss is the root cause of many organizational barriers. This fear is often driven by an endemic sense of entitlement, where individuals go to great lengths to protect what they believe they deserve, even at the expense of the organization's overall success.

"An endemic sense of entitlement drives fear of loss, leading to protective behaviors that harm the organization as a whole." - Tom Rieger

Parochialism

Parochialism occurs when functional silos create protective policies and rules, defining success by focusing solely on their own objectives rather than the overall company goals. These silos make new rules to protect themselves, which can lead to excessive bureaucracy. Rieger provides the example of General Motors (GM), where senior executives had to review presentations three times, leading to inefficiency and wasted time.

Rieger explains that parochial managers believe they are doing what is best for the organization, even though their actions often cause harm. Behavioral economist George Loewenstein's study on behavioral decision theory supports this by showing that individuals' perceptions of moral correctness are biased towards what benefits them personally.