Sources of anxiety in the Boardroom

“Fear of looking foolish”

If I say something others don’t agree with, or that might be considered silly, I won’t say it…

“Fear of offending others”

If I have a point that I think might appear threatening to another board member or to the Chief Executive I don’t make it or I ‘water it down’…

“Fear of not being accepted”

If I am new to the board I feel I should keep quiet or only speak on subjects I think are ‘safe’…

“Fear of being alone in my opinion”

If I have made points in the past that have been ignored or unsupported it can affect how I will speak in the future. I might hold back or only speak on subjects I see as safe…

“Fear of not being liked or respected”

I might go along with things I don’t really agree with and then tell other my real views outside the board meeting…

“Fear of not being part of the group”

If I don’t feel part of the group I will either keep my distance (for example busying myself reading papers) or I might pair up with people I think are ‘like me’ – creating my own faction within the board…

“Fear of talking too much”

I might overthink my involvement in the conversation. I might not share opinions that might be valuable to the board…

“Fear of not talking enough”

I might comment on everything whether or not I have something to say to avoid people thinking I am not making a contribution…

“Fear of conflict”

I might keep quiet, or do everything to smooth things over, even where a lively debate might be valuable. I might avoid conflict in the meeting but talk about the person I feel conflict with out of the room…