Fears are educated into us, and can, if we wish, be educated out.
— Karl Augustus Menninger
Recently, I found myself in an argument I never intended to be part of. It left me rattled, not because of what was said, but because of how far my words and actions strayed from what I actually meant. I meant well. But my tone, my words, and even my body language didn’t reflect that. Something had quietly taken over. That something was FEAR.
A few years back, I might have brushed it off and moved on. But today, with more self-awareness and a commitment to growth, I stopped to reflect. I asked myself: What happened? Why did I react this way? The answer was eye-opening. Fear, subtle and subconscious, had overridden my clarity. My brain didn’t let my intent speak—it let my insecurities speak instead. Fear had overridden my intent, warped my message, and distorted my actions.
In that moment, I wasn’t guided by logic or care. I was reacting to a deep, unspoken fear—of being misunderstood, judged, or dismissed. I wanted to clarify and connect. But what came out was defensive, rushed, and off-mark. Fear didn’t scream—it whispered, and I followed.
This isn’t just my story. It’s something we all go through. We aim to communicate with clarity and empathy, but when fear sneaks in, we default to old protective patterns—sometimes fight, sometimes flight, and often, freeze.
These reactions often have little to do with the situation in front of us and more to do with unresolved experiences, old emotional patterns, or subtle environmental triggers. And when fear quietly pulls the strings, we stop responding—and start reacting.
The Invisible Grip of Fear on People and Culture
To understand why fear hijacks us, we must first understand that not all fear is bad. Some fear is actually constructive—it acts as an internal signal system that alerts us to potential risks, encourages preparation, and nudges us to stay sharp. For example, the nerves before a big presentation can push us to rehearse more thoroughly. This kind of fear keeps us accountable and aware.
The problem arises with hijacking fear—the kind that overwhelms us, distorts our behaviour, and makes us reactive. This fear doesn’t inform; it controls. At the centre of this is the brain’s amygdala, which scans for threats and kicks off the body’s fight-flight-freeze response. When triggered, it floods our system with stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Blood is diverted from the prefrontal cortex—our logical, decision-making brain—to our survival zones. This is known as an “amygdala hijack”, a term popularized by psychologist Daniel Goleman.
In simple terms, constructive fear prompts preparation, while hijacking fear impairs perception. When the latter takes over, we lose access to empathy, reasoning, and presence—key ingredients in effective communication and leadership.
How Fear Warps Communication:
Let’s break down how fear subtly infiltrates our communication and decision-making:
- Intent: You want to offer constructive feedback or share a bold idea. But fear says: “What if they judge me?” or “What if I’m wrong?”
- Content: You prepare your message with care. But fear scrambles your delivery: You soften your words too much or come off too defensive.
- Action: You plan to initiate a conversation. But fear delays you: You procrastinate or avoid it altogether.
Fear → Negative Emotions → Impaired Intent, Content, and Action
Ironically, this is how we end up being misunderstood, not because our intentions were wrong, but because fear filtered how they came across.
Fear at the Individual Level: A Silent Career Blocker
Fear doesn’t just show up during conflict—it shapes how we lead, collaborate, and grow. Many professionals silently carry fears of failure, rejection, or not being enough. These often surface as procrastination, perfectionism, or avoidance. But fear loses its grip when we name it, pause to breathe, and reframe it as growth rather than threat. Seeking feedback—not approval—and practicing self-compassion helps shift us from reaction to reflection. When we face fear with awareness, we begin to choose action aligned with intent, not insecurity.
Fear at the Organizational Level: The Hidden Cost
Fear doesn’t just live within individuals—it lives in organizational cultures too. Sometimes it’s not obvious. The workplace may appear structured and polite, but under the surface, employees may hesitate to speak up, ask questions, or challenge norms. Leaders, knowingly or not, often exploit fear to drive results. They assume pressure creates performance. Performance driven by fear is like running on adrenaline. It may get you over the finish line today, but it drains the system and damages trust in the long run. Eventually, morale declines, burnout rises, and top talent walks away.
Fear-driven environments often suffer from:
- Stalled innovation
- Slow, reactive decisions
- Surface-level collaboration
- Erosion of trust and psychological safety
And the impact? It’s costly. According to the 2024 Gallup State of the Global Workplace Report, a staggering 86% of Indian employees report they are either “struggling” or “suffering” in their work lives. This signals not just a well-being issue, but a systemic organizational challenge. When fear is the undercurrent, productivity, quality, collaboration, and morale all take a hit—and ultimately, good talent walks out the door.
Moving Beyond Fear the Kognitivus Way: Reclaiming Growth
At Kognitivus, we often find that fear in the workplace isn’t just an emotional response—it’s a reflection of how systems are designed. When structures lack clarity, feedback loops are weak, or leadership behaviors unintentionally create pressure, fear quietly becomes part of how people operate. We work with organizations to uncover these patterns and shift them—replacing fear-based reactions with trust, transparency, and aligned action.
This doesn’t mean ignoring the human side. In fact, our approach integrates both people and structure. We help individuals understand how fear might be shaping their responses—whether it’s hesitation to speak up, perfectionism, or avoidance—and we equip them to move forward with clarity and confidence. But we don’t stop there. We work with leadership and teams to redesign how decisions are made, how information flows, and how accountability is built—so that growth isn’t left to chance or individual effort alone.
Because real transformation doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens when systems support people—and people feel safe enough to lead with intention, not fear.
From Reaction to Intention
Fear doesn’t make you weak. It makes you human.
But awareness + intentional action = POWER. Whether you’re an individual trying to communicate better or an organization aiming for high performance, the path forward begins with recognizing the invisible weight of fear and choosing to respond — not react.
Let’s reclaim our intent. Let’s align our words with our values. Let’s build lives — and workplaces — where fear no longer drives the story.
Mitul Khurana 
Shambhavi Dubey 
Rupa Susarla