286: Fear Intelligence: A Breakthrough Framework for Leaders with Jacqueline Wales
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286: Fear Intelligence: A Breakthrough Framework for Leaders with Jacqueline Wales
When fear shows up in our lives, most of us reach for familiar strategies: push it away, override it by staying busy, or tell ourselves we’ll deal with it later. But as author and executive coach Jacqueline Wales reminds us in this week’s episode of Work from the Inside Out, fear isn’t something to outrun. It’s something to understand. Her new book, Fear Intelligence, distills more than twenty years of coaching leaders into a clear and compassionate message: fear is a signal demanding our attention, and our relationship with it shapes how we lead, how we connect, and how we live.
Jacqueline’s path to this work is deeply personal. Growing up amid instability and dysfunction, she learned early how fear could erode self-esteem and limit what felt possible. Later, in her coaching career, she recognized these same patterns in the executives, and professionals she supported. No matter the industry or title, the roots of behavioral avoidance, perfectionism, people-pleasing, overworking, and second-guessing almost always traced back to unexamined fears. Her earlier books explored these themes, but Fear Intelligence represents a new level of clarity and synthesis in her thinking.
At the heart of the book is her F.E.A.R. Framework: Face It, Explore It, Act on It, and Rise with It. Jacqueline is quick to point out that it’s not a linear, one-and-done process. Instead, it’s a lifelong practice of noticing when fear shows up, pausing long enough to identify what story is driving it, and asking deeper questions. Her favorite: “What about this matters?” She and I talked about how often the stories that fuel our fear began long before we were aware of them, sometimes passed along from earlier generations. Naming them is the first step toward loosening their grip.
Jacqueline’s reframing of fear as data is especially noteworthy. For some, this concrete lens can be incredibly grounding: fear becomes not an enemy to battle or a flaw to fix, but information to work with. When we treat fear as data, we create room to ask, “What is this alerting me to? What am I trying to avoid? What choice do I truly want to make?” With this perspective, acting becomes less about chasing certainty and more about choosing self-trust, even when the outcome is unknown.
Jacqueline’s message is ultimately one of empowerment: there is no “there” to reach, no fearless finish line awaiting us. Growth happens each time we face ourselves honestly, take a step into discomfort, and rise again, not perfectly, but consciously. If you’ve been sensing that something old is blocking something new in your life, this episode and Jacqueline’s work may offer exactly the tools and perspective you need to begin clearing space for what comes next.
In this week’s Work From The Inside Out podcast, learn more about:
What Fear Intelligence is and why it matters for leaders and professionals
The four-step Fear Framework: Face It, Explore It, Act on It, Rise with It
How fear shapes behavior through avoidance, perfectionism, and people-pleasing
Why fear is often intergenerational, and how those stories get passed along
Viewing fear as data rather than danger — and how that shift empowers action
How to identify the stories that quietly reinforce “I’m not good enough”
Why uncertainty is unavoidable, and why choosing discomfort can open new paths
Jacqueline’s personal journey from hardship to transformation
Tools, exercises, and real-life examples from her new book Fear Intelligence
How to begin building a more honest, compassionate relationship with yourself
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About Tammy, host of
Work from the inside out
Before launching my coaching practice, I worked in mental health, higher education, public policy, and fundraising. Those experiences showed me how deeply our work shapes our sense of purpose—and now I help clients navigate change and growth so they can feel more fulfilled and aligned in what they do