It’s a pleasure to recap these Women Executive Network (WXN) events here on Sister Leadership. There is always so much wisdom contained within the walls of the Rideau Club during those early-morning breakfast meetings. And the May 1st event was no exception. On the stage for the conversation that morning was Clare Beckton, who we’ve actually interviewed on Sister Leadership before, as well as the fantastic Janice McDonald (another past guest) leading the conversation.
Topic of Discussion: “If You Weren’t Afraid to Fail, What Would You Do?”
Clare Beckton is currently Founding Executive Director of the Carleton University Centre for Women in Politics and Public Leadership, and so she has put on her mentor hat several times in providing women with advice on dealing with fear. So let’s dive into the conversation and get Clare’s insights on fear, and overcoming that obstacle.
“If anybody ever tells you that they’ve never been afraid, except for the very rare individual, they are probably not telling you the truth because most of us have our fears. I think the biggest challenge is not whether you are afraid, but whether you will do it anyway.
For me, fear is about trying to understand what is it that’s bothering me. Looking at it and saying, “What’s the worst possible thing that will happen to me?”
Ask Yourself: How Much Does it Matter?
“I think really, fundamentally, what I talk to myself about is how much does it matter to me to do this? If it really doesn’t matter . . . for example, when I was at Machu Picchu at the top, there is another mountain you could climb to see other things. Well, it’s cliff edge. I don’t like cliff edge. So did it matter to me to go up there enough? No. If one of my children was up there clinging to an edge, I would do it. But there was no reason to do it.”
“It’s definitely not linear,” added Clare. “There will be times when fear is a really good thing. Like fear of a lion would be a very good thing. When I was on safari in Africa, we went on a bush walk and the lions were 200 yards away . . .that was a good fear; keeps you from getting into trouble. But the other fear is knowing when it’s good or bad.”
Any Advice for Her 20-year Old Self?
“If we really want to do it, just get on and do it. We cannot let fear conquer us. We cannot take mistakes as a personal failure. And that’s what I think women are really good at doing – making it personal rather than it’s simply a mistake and something didn’t work out. Because you are all wonderful people. But we all make mistakes. The key is learn from those mistakes. Dust yourself off. Have a good cry if you need it because there’s nothing wrong with that. And then ask, how are you going to build it forward?”
Blogger: Camille Boivin, Founder, Sister Leadership
Camille Boivin transitioned from 30 years of corporate sales and marketing experience to one with more entrepreneurial spirit. In 2009/2010, she reached top sales recognition by achieving 49% growth in multi-million dollar advertising buys at our national #1 daily newspaper, The Ottawa Citizen. As she creates a space to be more curious about life, she is coaching extraordinary women leaders in entrepreneurship, mid-management and senior executive positions.
Ms. Boivin is a graduate of the Royal Roads Executive coach training program and possess 30 years of experience in the corporate sales and marketing. She is a certified practitioner of EQ 2.0 and DISC. As a master practitioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming, she facilitates workshops on how to better communicate with others as well as to seek clarity for what we want in life. She is a trained facilitator of DISC, Legacy Leadership and Coaching Out-of-the-Box. Ms. Boivin’s top five values are: courage, empathy, confidence, community and wellness. What she brings to the co-creation coaching process is a very safe space to dive into bigger issues both personally and professionally, starting with business challenges and, when the client is ready, moving away from strategies into our belief system. Purpose fuels her courage as she has transitioned, as many do, from a fiery point of disease to one of extraordinary health. She has been through the eye of the needle and returned with more energy and resilience than ever before.