đź’Ą Have you noticed a work fear you can’t explain?
In a recent coaching session, a manager told me she’s terrified of executive meetings.
Avoids them when she can. Dreads them when she can’t. Spends the days before one bracing for something she can’t quite name.
So I asked her: “Has an executive ever spoken to you the way you’re afraid they will?”
She got quiet. “Not really,” she replied. That’s when we found it. She isn’t afraid of executives. She’s being ghosted by her past.
By her father, a corporate executive — authoritative, critical, commanding. Her nervous system learned early: sitting across from him can feel dangerous.
And now, decades later, she walks into a boardroom — and that same little girl shows up. Bracing. Shrinking. Waiting for the criticism that shaped her childhood. Even though her father isn’t in the room.
Here’s what I want you to hear: Your nervous system is brilliant. And it can also be wrong.
It learned to protect you from a very real threat — at a very young age. It’s still running that same program today, loyal as ever. Like a smoke alarm that goes off every time you make toast.
The alarm isn’t broken. It just hasn’t gotten the update yet.
You’re not that child anymore. That voice doesn’t define you anymore. And the people across the table — they are not your father.
đź’Ą This is the work. Recognizing whose fear you’re actually carrying — and gently, finally, setting it down. That’s when you regain your personal power.
Sheri Bell
Clarity & Momentum 🚀 Coach
SheriBellCoach.com
I hold the PCC (Professional Certified Coach) credential with the International Coaching Federation (ICF). This represents the ICF’s rigorous required classroom and assessment hours, as well as 500 hours (minimum) of client coaching. I’ve coached 1100+ hours as of June 2026. My coaching income helps to support two global charities: Charity Water and Mercy Ships.