There have been times in my life where facing fears has been difficult. I am mortified to admit this, but I was afraid of my shadow as a kid. I would walk by a light pole at night, see my shadow, and immediately think I was followed. I would sprint or walk in a different direction, but often, I could not shake my shadow. My siblings criticized me and had the time of their lives, making jokes about me and fearing my shadow. However, as a parent now, I am still afraid of my shadow. Not the one that reflects light but the literal shadow that mimics everything I perform, similar to my shadow reflection, my kids.

Raising kids is difficult. I have fears and questions: am I developing my shadow for success? What are some things that I can do to help my kids succeed? I fear whether I am doing the right thing to prepare my shadow for a successful life. But, just as Susan David, the author of Emotional Agility, courage is not the absence of fear; courage is fear walking. So, as I know that fear is inevitable, as a parent, I allow courage to be the driving force, knowing that fear is still there. I embrace the shadow from the result of a light reflection that scared me as a kid to now; the light that reflects me that my kids will have an everlasting impact on society.

Similarly, at work, we had shadows. Our colleagues and mentees follow us like the light reflection and my kids. There may be fear that we are not good enough to be shadowed. There may be doubt about the direction in which to lead your shadow. No matter the circumstance, know that you are prepared. The time is now to have courage and walk with fear. Allow courage to be the driving force, knowing that fear is imminent but not the zenith. That belongs to your courage.

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When student-athletes decide to attend college, they leave the nest to start their journey as adults. They connect with peers and professors to help them grow as people and scholars. The institutional culture that they attend is also critical in this process. But, throughout my professional journey, I learned that parents can be the caveat to hindering this growth.

Listen, I admit that I did not have a kid in college. But I once was a kid in college. I know that experience well and had to make a hard decision. That was to disconnect from my parents just enough so that I could grow as an individual. My parents never called my coach or professors. I would have been mortified. Because I did not have helicopter parents in these moments, it forced me to communicate, strategize, and think critically. Therefore, parents and athletes, growing with your community and institution are fine because that unlocks growth opportunities.

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What makes you get up and go to that 5 AM workout? Is it health? What about staying up late to finish that work assignment? Is it perfectionism? Nevertheless, a "Why" is usually attached to a connection to something deeper. Some philosophers think that asking or saying why instead of what forces the other person to create a barrier or insert a defense mechanism, but I believe that answering your "Why" is important and will help uncover critical aspects of your work and personal life.

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Leaders, how often have you dealt with staff and employees who did not agree with your decision? Many leaders need help with this conundrum, trying to please too many people. In these moments, it is critical to embrace the decision you made as a leader, and though many may not agree with it, their job is to support you. So, no matter what choices come your way, as the leader, be firm and confident in your final decision.

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What happens at work when you are challenged? When someone asks you questions about your work, do you feel slighted? Do you become angry and annoyed? Or do you explain the situation in depth? I am guilty of asking for expansion on situations, but it is not due to a lack of trust or competency questioning. I am looking for an expert to explain the outcome.

I do not have a background in sports medicine, psychology, nutrition, or many other areas in athletics. But I do like to learn, just like others. So when a leader asks why or what in a certain scenario, know they are not the expert. You are. They ask that you please expound on an instance where they are a novice. So don't get annoyed; know that as the expert, you must provide a layer of explanation that sometimes requires layperson's terms to help others understand.

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The one thing that no one can defer or avoid is confrontation, whether this is as a player with a coach or a leader with an employee. At some point, there will be a difficult situation where one becomes irritated and leads to a confrontation. So, how do you handle these situations? Do you cool off and approach the situation later? Do you allow the berating that you are used to and just accept it? Or do you step right into it and communicate?

I advise you to perform the latter. There is only one way to handle confrontation: step right into it. Lean into this situation with respect and honesty. Do not be passive-aggressive or demeaning. Stepping into it with honesty and respect will lead to clarity and build connection. So, step into confrontation and never lean away.

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Have you ever found it challenging to delegate tasks? As a former wide receiver, I can relate. It’s like trying to catch, run, and block for yourself in a football game- seemingly impossible. Coaches, however, trust other players and delegate roles. I’ll be honest, I struggle with delegating due to my perfectionist nature. But, I’m actively working to improve in this area. So, I asked myself, ‘How can leaders learn to delegate when they’re used to doing everything themselves?’ I discovered that the first step is to define what can be delegated—starting with simple tasks or some marginally complex ones. Then, through this process, determine the right oversight, if needed, to ensure the project is completed orderly. In this scenario, as a leader, you’ll gain your followers’ trust and learn that they can be trusted too.

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As a leader, are you aware of the intercultural competence in your organization? Some people in your organization may need help understanding how to engage with or interact with others who do not look like them. Or are you creating homogenous environments to avoid these situations? What type of training are you doing to allow your privileged workers to understand how to engage with and interact with people who don't look like them but don't come from similar backgrounds? As a leader, it is important to create training and other institutional protocols to educate individuals to engage and communicate with others from different racial or ethical backgrounds to improve organizational efficiency. But not just for your organization but for societal growth and wellness.

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