I’m no sports expert, but I’m paying close attention as sports figures’ voices grow louder. Four years after Colin Kaepernick first kneeled to turn America’s attention to the very real problem of ongoing racism – I’m following the American football, basketball, baseball and world football teams as they boycott games in protest against police brutality and racial injustice. Corporate leadership pundits have long examined sports and crafted clever analogies to support their theories with social proof, and to bring their largely academic models to life. Today, they should be looking at more than just the rules of play. To find insights about the nature of the leadership we need today, it’s arguably more important to observe sports figures outside of the court and field.

I’ll be blunt: bold and brave leaders are in the minority.

Mid-quarantine, triggered by the police brutality which caused the senseless murder of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor*, I composed an email to petition leaders of my company to communicate a clear stance in the fight against racism and injustice against Black and African Americans. Then I took to Instagram – I rallied peers to be courageous and advocate for themselves and for the change they want to see corporate America.

I offered my words as a template to anyone who wished to petition the leaders in their company.

Over a dozen template requests and a few hours later, my social media friends and I scored official communications from our companies’ leaders. The fleeting sensation of ‘feeling seen’ was quickly replaced by disappointment in the mild, generic leader letters: the ones that erred on the side of caution, seeming to take great care not to ruffle any *shareholder* feathers. These communications shyly omitted any mention the lives that were lost, sheepishly avoided any reference to the Black/African American community, tiptoed around a firm stance against racism, and reserved any commitment of resources to employees impacted by the unfortunate events. Surely, this can’t be the bold, effective leadership that sports-inspired pundits wrote about – right?

Four years ago, the sports figures who dared protest did so selflessly and fearlessly, despite being ostracized and losing out on income. The pervasive killings of Black Americans by law enforcement compels more sports figures who may have been fearful in 2016 to now join the protest movement. Their actions prioritize the good of all and a desired future over self-preservation and short term wins. This shift catalyzed the suspension of professional sports – an extremely rare occurrence, likely to ignite change. At this point, exemplary fearless leadership by sports figures occurs outside of the court and field: it’s the words and actions they use to impact their spheres of influence.

This is what fear in leadership looks like.

In corporate America, there are plenty of unlikely people who make it to the top. They learned to play by the rules of the game: fly under the radar, build trusting relationships up and down the organization, take on additional responsibilities, gracefully accept opportunities. It’s a tried-and-true strategy. I’ve observed that for many, the higher up in the hierarchy they go and the longer their tenure, the more risk averse they get.

The irony here is rich – in the sporting world, the mastermind managers and players are those who take risks.

On a human level, I get it. I think about the corporate leader, a B-level manager with a family to support and a lifestyle to maintain, who wields influence outside of their organization’s walls in a community that regards them as successful. A lot hangs in the balance as ascending the corporate ladder begins to blur into social identity outside of the job. Once a dreamer, the leader was an idealist with bright goals to change company practices for the better. Looking around at their social capital and quality of life, the returns on years invested, the fear of losing their job begins to creep in.

Fear is rewarded. In self-preservation, the leader begins erring on the side of caution at work. Patterns of past leaders are followed, disagreement and new ideas are restrained to maintain the status quo and maybe score another promotion or two before retirement. Traditional corporate systems reward thinking and behavior that is more concerned with earning promotions while penalizing idealists for finding disruptive solutions to improve their current job. The result of B-level inertia and organizational reward systems keeps leaders from making the right decisions, and fear triumphs over necessary change.

I’ve seen my fair share of effective leaders too.

In the past months since the Black Lives Matter movement has crept into corporate consciousness, several leaders have boldly and publicly expressed their commitments to centering equity in their organizations. They acknowledged the long journey ahead to realize change internally, and they’ve committed resources to organizations fighting against racism. While it’s still too early to assess the sincerity of their statements, I can appreciate the thread that connects them to corporate and sports leaders I admire: They articulate a clear, compelling vision for the future. They set out values and standards of acceptable behavior. They are transparent and willing to share information. Most of all, they’re bold and enough to take an ethical stand (or knee!) for what’s right, without fear of retribution.

If you are the fearful leader, do the work to understand your fear. Take the time to observe your own feelings and reactions to calls for change. Reflect and interpret what those feelings mean: do you feel overwhelmed, lacking the skills and abilities to lead authentically and fearlessly? Decide what supports you need to become a more effective change leader – do you need a coalition of well-informed industry peers? A few books, podcasts, a leadership course? A coach?

If your boss is a fearful leader, ask yourself what you can do to support them. Lead with compassion, as fear is a natural response. Your boss may benefit from your vote of confidence and a nudge in the right direction.