The word failure just plain frightens and immobilizes people, as if a failure somehow means you, personally, are a failure. It's that fear, that we will be proven less than we think we are, that stops us from trying and growing and can ensnare us in a trap of insecurity. There are four lessons I've culled from our conversations with executives and coaches that help me reframe my fear of failure:

• Fear and Anxiety are Energy
• Failure is A Necessary Step Toward Success
• Failure is Not Personal
• There is Dignity in Failure