As a leadership consultant who studies workplace psychology, I’ve spent more than 30 years helping thousands of individuals navigate tough relationships.
I’ve found that one of the most difficult personality types to deal with are highly insecure people. These are the folks who find comfort in stable and predictable environments. They prefer security and despise changes. But change is a necessity for success.
Unfortunately, I’ve seen many teams and organizations fail because of a highly insecure person standing in the way. The first step to preventing things from getting worse is to know how to identify them.
Are you dealing with a highly insecure person?
Here are seven things highly insecure people say when they sense that change is coming:
1. “I don’t have time for this. My other priorities are more important.”
Usually, it’s not that they don’t have enough time; it’s that they don’t know how to manage it effectively. And they rarely have any deliberate or mindful strategies of how to prioritize their tasks.
2. “I’ve already tried this [or something similar], but it didn’t work.”
This claim is often a complete lie. Insecure people don’t try new things. They mostly talk about trying new things at best.
3. “This is just another way for management to cuts jobs.”
Highly insecure people who don’t believe they’re validated and appreciated at work can become paranoid. They may suspect that someone, most often those in leadership, are out to “get” them.
4. “This is a stupid idea. Everything is working fine as it is.”
When a highly insecure person has a strong and dismissive reaction to a new initiative, it may be a sign that they realize they will have to put more effort into their work, and they feel threatened by it.
5. “This might work for others, but it’s not for me.”
Insecure people are big on inflating how unique they are and how special the conditions surrounding their work are.
6. “Can’t we think of something else? I’m not feeling this.”
This is usually an attempt to stall…
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