„The future is not something that happens to you. It is something you do.” I’m sure you know this phrase. You nod, you agree, maybe you even tweet it. But do you feel it? Do you live it?
Jane McGonigal, from the Institute for the Future, once pointed out: „Whatever you see in your future will always come from information your brain has already perceived and processed. Ideally, as you get better at imagining the unimaginable, you’ll incorporate not just obvious ideas and events but also surprising things that could be important in your future.”
See, your future isn’t some mystical, pre-ordained thing. It’s built from the pieces you’ve already gathered, the connections you’ve made. But you have to actively connect them. You have to actively imagine.
So, let’s get to the point. Five years. What are you doing? What’s your workspace? Who are you working with? What are you building? What are you changing?
Even though it may seem like a fluffy exercise, „Imagine your happy life”, this is about episodic future thinking. Scientists call it EFT. In plain words: your brain, it pulls from the past, remembers it, as they say, to build the future. It’s not magic, it’s how we’re wired.
It’s about vision. It’s about anticipation.
You see that brunch next Saturday? You’re not just thinking about eggs and coffee. You’re doing it. You’re feeling the warmth, the conversation, the experience. You’re already there.
That presentation? You’re not just rehearsing lines; you’re seeing the audience captivated. You’re living the moment of success.
And how does that happen?
Confidence. That’s the bedrock. You can’t anticipate greatness if you don’t believe you’re capable of it. Confidence isn’t arrogance; it’s knowing, deep down, that you have something valuable to offer. It’s the foundation for anticipation.
That anticipation, that vision, it drives action. It compels you to work harder, to refine, to perfect. You’re not just aiming for a result, you’re creating it.
And when you achieve that result, when you see the impact of your vision, what happens? Your confidence grows. It feeds itself.
That’s the cycle. You don’t just react. You anticipate. You create the future you see.
Now, back to our days… are you worried about uncertainty? So am I. Everyone is. But worry is a waste of precious cycles. It’s like running software in the background that does nothing but drain your battery.
Think about it. In business, you obsess over the details, right? You fine-tune your strategies, perfect your products, and create an experience that resonates with people.
Why? Because you know that the details matter. They’re the difference between a good product and a revolutionary one. And you want to transform, to innovate, to create something meaningful.
Now, apply that same relentless focus to your life. To your future. Don’t let it happen to you. Make it happen by you. Design it down to every detail…Build it. Shape it.
Most people walk through life reacting, consumed by fear of what’s to come. They see the future as a dark, swirling cloud, a source of anxiety. Why? Because they haven’t taken control. They haven’t designed this mechanism of future thinking. They haven’t seized this incredible power—this potential—and shaped it to their will.
As Jim Rohn once said: „The reason why most people face the future with apprehension instead of anticipation is because they don’t have it well designed”.
Apprehension? According to the Oxford dictionary is „the anxiety or fear that something bad or unpleasant will happen.”
Now, we’ve all felt it. That knot in your stomach, the racing thoughts, the feeling that you’re just not ready enough.
Fear and anxiety are like a virus. They feed on doubt. They thrive in the spaces where you question your abilities, where you anticipate failure.
But confidence and positive expectations, are the antivirus. They’re the firewall that keeps the negativity out.
If you’re already here on this page, chances are you don’t usually react. You create. You build. You think differently. Let’s delve deeper into this and see how you can create your future.
Let’s say you’re holding this… opportunity… in your hand. This moment, this potential, this business idea. And what are you doing with it? Worrying? Doubting? Letting fear dictate your focus, your actions, your future?
What do you want? Not the fleeting fears or doubts, but your true, deep aspirations.
Define them. Clarify them. Then, design your path with purpose.
Design the tools you’ll need to succeed. Design the experience you want to live—one built on confidence, not fear.
You have the power to create your future. Not some vague, wishful thinking. Real, tangible power. It’s in your decisions, your relationships, your willingness to learn, to innovate.
As leaders, you have to recognize that you can influence this on the people around you, often without even realizing it. The way you set expectations, delegate tasks, communicate, make decisions, creates a breeding ground for either apprehension or anticipation.
When you expect success, you act like success is inevitable. You take bolder risks, you push harder, you innovate with a relentless drive. You don’t hesitate, you create.
When you’re confident in your team, in your vision, in yourself, setbacks become mere blips on the radar. They don’t derail you, they teach you. You learn, you adapt, you move forward.
Apprehension fixates on the worst-case scenario and fear. It paints a picture of doom.
Anticipation paints a picture of possibility. It shows you the path to success, even when it’s shrouded in uncertainty.
It’s all about a fundamental shift in perspective
In the context of business leadership, this shift, much like in personal development, plays a key role in shaping various aspects of leadership and team dynamics.
Communication Style
When I started my journey into NLP, it was based on my desire to improve my communication style. I thought the focus would be on some shiny new communication techniques. I expected to add. And what I found…well, it .was the power of subtraction. That’s the core of elegance.
I didn’t just learn about communication. I learned about clarity. I learned about focus. I learned about impact.
I learned that the best communication isn’t about filling every silence, it’s about pausing. It’s about creating space for the other person to think, to feel. It’s about removing the noise, the clutter, the unnecessary.
I discovered the power of positive language. Not some saccharine, empty positivity, but a laser-focused, solution-oriented approach.
Presuppositions. Assumptions. We all make them. I started to understand the mechanics behind it and master it. To build bridges, not walls. I learned to reframe, to see the opportunity in every challenge. That’s not just communication, that’s vision.
Anchoring. I learned to create emotional triggers, to associate positive states with specific words and actions. That’s more about leadership than you think: it’s about inspiring, motivating, empowering.
Rapport. Matching and mirroring. Building connections. That’s not just about being liked, it’s about understanding. It’s about creating a shared experience, a shared vision.
And the modalities. Visual, auditory, kinesthetic. I learned to engage all the senses, to create a rich, immersive experience. That’s not just communication, it’s art.
See, the way we talk to each other, the way we communicate, is not just about getting the message across. It’s about the soul of the message.
And there are two paths.
One is the path of apprehension. It’s the path where you’re constantly looking over your shoulder, micromanaging, nitpicking every detail because you’re terrified something’s going to fall apart.
You’re churning out verbs like a damn war machine: struggling, battling, facing, failing.
You’re pointing fingers, dissecting every flaw, every perceived weakness in your team.
You’re saying, „You might not understand,” before anyone’s even opened their mouths.
You’re drowning in „uncertainties” and „risks.” And you know what? That kind of talk, it breeds nothing but more fear. It stifles creativity, it kills innovation, it turns brilliant people into nervous wrecks.
That’s motion density gone wrong. It’s seeing everyone else as a problem, not as a solution. It’s projecting your own insecurities onto the world.
And believe me, I’ve seen it. I’ve felt it. It’s a dead end.
Then there’s the other path.
The path of confidence and anticipation. It’s the path where you believe in your team.
You believe in the vision. You’re not blind to the challenges, but you focus on the solutions, the possibilities, the growth.
You speak in terms of creating, building, innovating, achieving. You see strengths, not just weaknesses. You foster collaboration, not only competition. You inspire confidence, not fear.
Look, you know that saying „people don’t know what they want until you show it to them”. And that applies to leadership too.
You can’t inspire greatness if you’re constantly dwelling on the negative. You have to paint a picture of the future, a future where „we succeed”, where „we change the world”.
When you communicate with that level of conviction, you don’t just give instructions; you light a fire.
So, stop focusing on the „might fails” and start focusing on the „will triumphs.” Stop worrying about what you don’t know and start celebrating what you do know.
Choose your words wisely. Choose your tone carefully.
Choose to inspire, not to intimidate. Choose to build, not to break.
Because in the end, it’s not just about what you say, it’s about what you inspire others to do.
And that’s the difference between a good leader and a truly great one.
Decision Making Process
We all know about this „decision fatigue”. You get the idea. People paralyzed, sweating over paint colors, terrified of a „wrong” choice. It’s pathetic. And it starts with fear.
Fear of failure, fear of the „what ifs”, fear of looking stupid.
This whole „red tape” thing? It’s a symptom. It’s a sign of a company that’s lost its soul.
They’re so busy covering their backsides, they’ve forgotten how to innovate. They’re so afraid of making a mistake, they’ve become incapable of doing anything worthwhile.
It’s all about apprehension versus anticipation, it’s about fear versus vision. I’ve seen both, one builds empires, the other builds… well, nothing.
Let me tell you, fear is a choice. You can choose to be crippled by it, or you can choose to channel it. Through my experiences I learned to harness that energy. I used the fear of mediocrity to drive me, to push me, to demand greatness in my personal and professional endeavors.
When I make decisions, I usually ask myself, “What’s the best thing I can do for myself (my family, my business, etc)?” Not “What’s the safest thing?” Not the shortest path… Not the cozy little compromise. The best thing. And then, I go out there and make it happen.
Circumstances? Almost always, they don’t matter. They’re just noise. Static. And I’ll tell you why.
People obsessed with the now, the tangible. They see a problem, they react to the problem.
They’re trapped in a feedback loop, a prison of their own making. Neville Goddard once said “If you judge after appearances, you will continue to be enslaved by the evidence of your senses.”
In other words, as humans we are conditioned to interpret what we see and experience as absolute truth, which limits our ability to create a new reality for ourselves. Our senses give us constant feedback about what is, but that doesn’t mean it’s what has to be.
It’s like building a beautiful interface, but focusing on the bugs. You’ll only see bugs.
You want a different outcome? Imagine it. Believe it. Not just a fleeting thought, but a deep, visceral conviction. It’s like designing a product – you see it, you feel it, you know it’s real before anyone else does.
Don’t just see the world as it is. See the world as it could be. And then, make it so.
Because the best isn’t handed to you. It’s forged. It’s wrenched from the jaws of impossibility. It’s the product of a singular, unwavering focus.
You don’t ask for permission. You don’t wait for the perfect moment. You make the moment perfect.
Here’s the truth: decision apprehension is the death of anything great.
In business, this leads to incremental change, playing it safe, and a slow, agonizing decline instead of innovation and more boldness.
When fear and anxiety clouds a leader’s judgment, they may focus too heavily on minimizing risk at the expense of strategic, calculated risk-taking that could benefit the business in the long term.
Therefore they end up with products and experiences that are „good enough.” And „good enough” is never good enough.
You want to know how to fix it?
Start empowering people. Give them a vision, not a rulebook. Teach them to trust their instincts, to think differently.
Let them fail. Because failure is how you learn. That’s how you grow. That’s how you innovate.
Mentor them. Show them how to make decisions based on the unwavering belief that they can overcome any obstacle. Show them how to see the potential, not just the risks.
Stop worrying about the „what ifs.” Start focusing on the „what could be.”
Stop playing it safe. Negative expectations lead to cautious, stagnant choices.
Start demanding greatness. Confidence and anticipation lead to breakthroughs: „We expect to change the world, and that expectation drives every decision we make.”
Make decisions with a fire in your belly, not a knot in your stomach. Because the world needs leaders with vision. It needs people who are willing to take risks, to challenge the status quo, to create something truly remarkable.
Brainstorming and Idea Generation in Groups
You never know where the next revolution will come from.
Confidence and anticipation in a group environment allow people to free their minds and share those ideas that they may have otherwise kept to themselves.
In brainstorming sessions, an apprehensive approach can sometimes stifle creativity and limit the flow of ideas, especially if leaders who are anxious feel the need to control the discussion or rush through the process, which can suppress the free exchange of ideas.
But, there is a paradox and you need to be clear about it.
Innovation? It never comes from some fluffy, feel-good, kumbaya sessions where everyone holds hands and sings „Imagine”.
The point is: it’s born from tension. From that knot in your stomach. From the sweat on your palms.
And that apprehensiveness? Well, here may not be entirely the enemy. It’s the fuel.
It’s the fire that forges steel. It’s the pressure that turns coal into diamonds.
It’s about knowing you’re working on something that matters.
You need to harness it. You need to channel it.
Now, I’m not talking about creating a toxic, fear-ridden hellhole. I’m saying you need to create an environment where yes, all ideas are valued and the stakes are real.
Where the fear of mediocrity outweighs the fear of failure.
A space where people understand that their ideas aren’t just suggestions, they’re challenges. And the best ideas come up, even if they make everyone in the room uncomfortable.
Because discomfort is where you find the edge. That’s where you find the next big thing. Embrace it. Cultivate it. Make it purposeful.
Effective Feedback
Feedback is essential for growth, yet apprehension can prevent you from effectively giving and receiving feedback.
We’ve all seen it. The trembling hand, the hesitant voice.
The leader who tiptoes around the truth, afraid of a ruffled feather. Or, worse, the leader who screams every perceived flaw, crushing spirits instead of igniting them.
That’s an apprehension-driven approach. Pure and simple. And it’s a disease. It creates a culture of walking on eggshells, of playing it safe. And safe is the enemy of innovation. Safe is boring.
Apprehension also affects how feedback is received. Employees who are anxious may perceive feedback more negatively than intended, even when it is delivered constructively.
In either case, apprehension interferes with the growth-oriented nature of feedback.
You need to shift the paradigm. You’re not building a company of scared rabbits.
You’re building a team of people who dare to think different. And to do that, you need a leadership driven by vision, not by fear.
You need to focus on confidence and anticipation. A laser-focused belief in the potential of the people around you.
Instead of saying, „You messed up this point” say, „This concept is brilliant, but imagine how much more impactful it would be if we refined this specific point. I know you can do it.”
It’s about setting the bar high and then giving people the tools, the support, and the belief they need to reach it. It’s about inspiring them, not intimidating them.
So, ditch the apprehension-driven approach. Embrace the challenge. Expect greatness. And watch what happens.
To create a healthy feedback culture, as a leader you must be proactive in understanding and addressing the fear and anxiety in yourself and those around you, and ensure that feedback is clear, balanced, and motivating.
Because when you believe in people, they’ll surprise you.
They’ll surprise themselves.
And together, it’s the only way to accomplish great things.
AI and New Technologies
Some people are looking at this AI thing and they’re seeing a monster. A cold, calculating machine that’s going to steal their job, their purpose.
All of this digital revolution can provoke apprehension also among leaders, as they may feel overwhelmed by the pace of change or fear that technology will render their roles obsolete.
This can manifest as reluctance to adopt new tools or an over-reliance on technology without fully understanding its potential or limitations.
But let me tell you something. Fear is a terrible compass. It leads you down dark paths, makes you cling to the past, and ultimately, it paralyzes you. You cannot lead through fear of the future. You need to lead by imagining a better future.
When approached properly, as a leader, you can alleviate this fear by educating yourself about these technologies and taking a balanced, forward-thinking approach.
This AI, these new technologies, they’re tools.
Tools that, yes, can be misused, but also tools that can amplify your creativity, efficiency, problem-solving ability, and leadership skills.
Don’t let fear dictate your decisions. Learn. Understand. Experiment. Dive in. Get your hands dirty.
Instead of seeing AI as a threat, see it as an opportunity. An opportunity to free your work from the mundane, to focus on the truly human aspects of your mission, the innovation, the connection.
***
According to Bryq Platform: „The apprehension trait measures the extent to which an individual is self-confident and self-assured, or worrisome, insecure and self-doubting. The trait has two opposite poles namely Confident and Apprehensive.”
While confidence is about knowing, deep down, that you’re on the right path, apprehension is a natural, albeit often disruptive, force in leadership dynamics.
It’s the voice in your head that says, „What if…?”, „What could go wrong?”
And against all expectations, the key is not to dismiss it. Not to label it as weakness.
Acknowledging its presence and understanding how it affects communication, decision-making, feedback, group dynamics and technology adoption, helps leaders better manage its influence on themselves and the people around them.
Ultimately, apprehension could be a tool. A sharp one.
With awareness and self-regulation, anxious tendencies can be redirected into opportunities for growth, improvement, and more effective leadership.
That voice, when channeled, when harnessed, is invaluable.
It forces you to anticipate, to refine, to perfect. It’s the reason you obsess over the details, the reason you sweat the small stuff. And the small stuff matters. It’s the difference between good and insanely great.
Here’s the secret: Confidence drives the vision. But a good level of apprehension could polishes it.
You need both. You need the confidence to dream big and the relentless drive to make it flawless.
Apprehension is a part of life. But it doesn’t have to define you. You can learn from it, You can grow from it, you can use it to fuel your leadership.
Now, how can you grow from it? How do you build a team that’s not just productive, but fearless?
- Keep things grounded. Set the bar high butdon’t ask for miracles on impossible deadlines. Give them the tools, the time, the space to do their best work. Remember, these are people, not machines. They have lives, families, passions outside the building. And frankly, if they don’t, you’re doing something wrong.
- Be their biggest supporter. Believe in them, even when they don’t believe in themselves. We’ve all had failures. But those failures are just stepping stones. Encourage them, inspire them, push them to reach their full potential. Invest in them.
- Offer them the benefit of the doubt. Micromanaging is a disease. Give them the freedom to make mistakes, to learn, to grow. And when they stumble, be there to pick them up, not to tear them down. Trust is a two-way street.
- Lean into what they’re good at. Put people where they excel. Don’t force a fish to climb a tree. It’s not fair to the fish, and it’s not good for the tree. Find their passion, their talent, and let them shine.
- Handle deficiencies with clarity and openness. Don’t run from fear, face it. Growth comes from pushing your boundaries, from conquering your demons. If someone’s struggling, help them confront it.
- Be patient as they evolve. Don’t box them in. Let them think, let them create, let them innovate. Get out of their way. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is nothing at all.
- Aim for a steady middle ground. Be caring, but be accountable. Don’t be a pushover, but don’t be a tyrant. It’s a delicate dance, and it’s essential.
- Be upfront about what’s required. No ambiguity. No surprises. Tell them what you want, when you want it, and how you want it. Clarity breeds confidence.
So, when fear creeps in, when anxiety starts to gnaw, remember this: expect greatness, act with confidence, and never, ever, lose sight of the vision.
You’ve got the vision, you’ve got the confidence. Don’t waste it.
Expect greatness, and you’ll get greatness.
Expect innovation, and you’ll innovate.
Expect to change the world, and you just might.
Stop worrying. Stop doubting.
Start building. Start creating. Start doing.
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Working together is powerful. Allow yourself to become empowered through connection, rather than fearing stepping into the unknown.
If you are interested in collaborating with me (please see details on the Services page).or seeking a mutual exchange of value for the benefit of a wider community within a partnership, the way to reach out to me is by sending an email to monicarovcanin@klytie.eu or using the contact form on the website.
Success is best when it’s shared. Thank you for your time and for being part of this journey. Together, we can create a better future!
