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Fear, Stress, and Anxiety: I Would Be

Very Nervous

e all have fears,” the Archbishop explained. “Fear and anxiety are
mechanisms that have helped us to survive. You know, if you did
not feel fear when you saw a lion over there and you just walked merrily
by, in next to no time there would be no you. God has given us these
things because God knew that we needed them. Otherwise, we would be
fearless, but then we’d also be very stupid, and we would not be around
very long. The problem is when the fear is exaggerated or when it is
provoked by something that is really quite insignificant.”
When I asked the Archbishop how he managed the fear during the
dark days of apartheid, when he received frequent death threats, he said,
“Well, one did not do silly things like stand in front of a lit window at
night, but one had to say to God, ‘If I’m doing your work, you better jolly
well protect me.’” I have always been impressed with how the
Archbishop has been willing to admit his fears and frailties.
We so rarely hear about the doubts, fears, and worries of leaders, as
leadership itself seems to require an air of confidence that rarely allows
the admission of weakness or vulnerability. I was once told an amazing
story by former Time magazine editor Rick Stengel, who had worked with
Nelson Mandela on his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom. Mandela
was flying in a small propeller plane with his bodyguard, Mike. The great
leader was hidden behind the morning paper when he noticed that one
propeller was not working. He leaned over and calmly told Mike, who
informed the pilots. They were well aware of the problem and explained
that emergency landing procedures were in place. When Mike explained
the situation to Mandela, he nodded calmly and went back to reading his
paper. Apparently, Mike, a tough guy, was trembling with fear but only
calmed by the image of Mandela, who looked unbothered by the fact that