Ten Major Fears You May Encounter at Work

God knows that we are a fearful people. So, he addresses it quite a bit in scripture.

When we talk about fear, we’re mainly talking about the bad stuff—fear of flying, fear of death, fear of loss.

There is a fear that’s good—properly placed fear is a respect and reverence for God alone. It’s a recognition that he is the Creator and we are the creature.

It’s a recognition that he made us from dust (which he also made) and that he is the infinitely powerful God.

Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction (Prov. 1:7).

God also tells us about the other—bad—kind of fear in scripture. He knows that we are fearful and that it’s a common problem in the Christian life.

Isaiah 41:10:

…fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Philippians 4:6-7:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

II Timothy 1:7:

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

It’s hard to have an open conversation about our fears at work, often for the same reasons it’s hard to talk about love at work.

It’s hard to reveal your inner fears and thoughts with your colleagues. Work is supposed to be professional. Getting all mushy and opening up about our fears isn’t professional.

So at the risk of being unprofessional, let’s get real about our fears at work. Here’s a list of ten major fears people face in the workplace.

There’s a lot more than ten, so please feel free to weigh in with fears you’ve faced.

1. Fear of failure.

2. Fear of not getting credit for your work.

3. Fear of losing your job.

4. Fear of looking stupid or incompetent.

5. Fear of losing control.

6. Fear of being yelled at or reprimanded in some way.

7. Fear of speaking up.

8. Fear of change.

9. Fear of getting stuck in your job.

10. Fear of being irrelevant.

What fears do you face at work? In a future post, I will address the consequences of fear.

Editor’s Note: On “Flashback Friday,” we take a look at some of IFWE’s former posts that are worth revisiting. This post was previously published on Mar. 20, 2015.

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John Kyle

John Kyle is the executive director of The Fellows Initiative, a growing network of Christian leadership development programs for new college graduates. He is also the founder and president of Kyle Venture Advisors, a consulting firm serving for-profit and nonprofit organizations. John has more than 30 years of experience in the tech industry and with nonprofits. He has a bachelor of science degree from the University of Kentucky, an MBA from Heriot Watt University and a postgraduate diploma from the University of Derby. He is currently completing a PhD in leadership at the University of Derby. John has served as a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church in America for more than 20 years. John and his wife Shirley live in Loudoun County, Virginia.