Fear of Initiative at Work | High Functioning Anxiety in Leadership

Contact us by whatsapp on +447485622662- let us know what you think of this episode. Burnout prevention for female managers often starts with a hard truth: your team's hesitation to use initiative mirrors your own high-functioning anxiety. Jamie, a funeral director, has a conscientious team—yet they keep checking, waiting, and avoiding decisions. In this conversation with Cheryl Paris, discover why words like 'professional' and 'use your judgment' carry hidden meanings that freeze your team's nervous system. Learn how decoding your own workplace stress and perfectionism gives your team permission to think and lead. Your team isn’t “lacking initiative” if they’re busy trying not to get punished by surprise standards. We tell the story of Jamie, a 32-year-old funeral director who cares deeply about families and holds high professional standards, yet feels exasperated when her team double-checks everything, waits for approval, and seems afraid to make decisions. We dig into the real culprit behind so much workplace stress and anxiety at work: expectations that sound clear but aren’t. Words like “professional,” “warm,” “sensitive,” and “use your judgment” can feel obvious to the person speaking because they come with a full mental picture. But when the picture stays in a manager’s head, the team can only guess. After a few rounds of “That’s not what I meant,” people learn that the safest move is to ask first, copy the boss on every message, and avoid the risk of being wrong. From there, we map the cycle: high stakes make control look like care, retroactive corrections create fear, fear produces overchecking, and overchecking becomes “evidence” that the team can’t be trusted. We also bring in professional reflection, not as self-blame, but as a leadership tool to ask: what pattern am I part of, and what am I creating through my habits? You’ll leave with a simple practice you can use today: make one important standard visible before the work starts so initiative becomes safe again. If this hits close to home, subscribe, share the episode with a colleague, and leave a review so more leaders can replace anxiety with clarity. The contents of this podcast are for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. If you have a specific health concern or condition, please consult a qualified Healthcare professional for more details. Check out herguru dot uk forward slash disclaimers Support the show If this episode helped, please share it with someone who needs a calmer five minutes: https://followthepodcast.com/workstressanxiety If you'd like to support the podcast, leaving a review genuinely helps other overwhelmed humans find it without having to survive another "10x your mindset" podcast first: https://lovethepodcast.com/workstressanxiety Got feedback, a question, or a future episode suggestion? https://podcastfeedback.com/workstressanxiety Work Stress Anxiety by ABGW is part of HerGuru Hypnotherapy and Coaching™ and grounded in the ABGW Method®. Calm first. Reality first. Then change.™ Connect with Cheryl Paris LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylparis/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abgwblog Shared stories are anonymised. This podcast is provided for educational and self- reflective purposes only and does not constitute medical, psychological, legal, workplace, or professional advice. Disclaimer: https://herguru.uk/disclaimers/ © Cheryl Paris. Copyright 2026. All rights reserved.