Have You Eve Ben Intimidated?
A reader wrote to me recently asking for advice on how to deal
with an intimidating boss.

This young man told me about his bad experience with a previous
supervisor who had shouted at him and belittled him.

And in his current job, he found himself being nervous—afraid to
say what’s on his mind. He is even so scared and intimidated
he is often unable to answer questions well.

Most of us have felt intimidated from time to time. Someone
larger and more powerful or with authority over our job and
livelihood can make us confused and unsettled.

But what we have to realize is that unless we’re being threatened
with bodily harm, we’re ALLOWING ourselves to be intimidated.

In many cases, we’re being intimidated by people who don’t
intend to do so. It’s our own insecurity, our own unwillingness
to claim our power that's responsible. It's our FEAR that’s
causing us to feel intimidated.

It can also be our desire to please people at our own expense
that gets in our way, but even that's a fear—the fear of people
not liking us.

Yes, there are times when others try to wield power over you
and control you. But even then, they count on your insecurity
in order to bully you.

No job is worth this. You have to come to the belief that YOU
are worth more than this. YOU don’t have to get mad, you just
have to decide where your boundaries are.

Dictators and tyrants must be confronted and never allowed
to continue bullying.

Action Point
Determine first if you’re being intimidated from someone’s
intention or from your own erroneous assumptions. This may
be the hardest part.

Then, decide what you’re willing to tolerate. What’s the worst
that could happen if you stand up to the other person?

Once you’ve gotten clear on these things, just be yourself. It’s
always possible that things won’t work out between you and
the other person, but you'll gain respect for yourself by being
true to yourself.

Always tell your truth with compassion. Be willing to accept the
fact not everyone will like you or agree with you. What’s
important is that you know you’re doing your best and you’ve
been authentic. THAT’S powerful.