Joel Dabao l April 8, 2025 l Manila Bulletin
FINEX Foundation recently held the 1st JFINEX Summit, in partnership with JP Morgan Chase. The attendees were the top teams from the recently concluded Inter-Collegiate Finance Competition, also sponsored by JP Morgan Chase. It was a wonderful experience – both for the attendees, who heard perspectives from FINEX members on what the future might hold, and for us members, getting energized by the fire in the bellies of these young people and their passion to excel.
Witnessing that drive was invigorating, and that same week, Alex Eala’s historic run at the Miami Open provided another powerful source of inspiration. Both events reminded me that, perhaps as the bard Pete Townsend put it, “The kids are alright.” They also prompted some reflections on the challenges these young talents – and indeed, all of us – inevitably face.
In one of her post-match interviews, Alex gave an answer that showed wisdom well ahead of her teenage years. Paraphrasing slightly, her message was: “I couldn’t be afraid. It’s normal to miss some shots, but I couldn’t be afraid to continue to do what I knew I had to do to win.” Her words resonated deeply. While I spoke to the JFINEX students about resilience and integrity, I realized later I hadn’t emphasized enough a crucial element Alex highlighted: fear. It’s a significant hurdle, especially at the beginning of any career journey, and perhaps this column offers a chance to share some further thoughts. I hope, dear reader, you find this useful.
In business, we often face situations where we’re afraid. The reasons vary, often relating to where we are in our journeys. We might fear upsetting a boss, missing a target, or failing to navigate a crisis so that the business weathers the storm. And indeed, the current global climate, with threats of large-scale conflict in many parts of the world and sudden economic shifts like the recent US tariffs imposed without clear timetables, only amplifies these pressures. I admit I am afraid; while some uncertainty in business is normal, this level certainly feels exceptional.
It’s in moments like these that Alex’s comments couldn’t be timelier. We cannot be afraid to continue doing what we have to do to succeed. We must acknowledge that we’ll get some things wrong – miss some shots, as Alex put it – but we have to do something. So often in business, inaction born of fear is worse than a wrong but deliberate action.
To help manage this, I often turn to a mental tool, inspired by Frank Herbert’s science fiction novel, Dune. It features a mental discipline, a ‘litany’ designed to master fear: “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
My interpretation has always been this: if you allow fear to overtake you, it hampers clear thinking and likely leads to a poor response. Instead, you can face it, acknowledge its presence, and consciously let it pass through you. This allows you to return to a state of rational thought, focusing on what you can control and, at least momentarily, blocking out what you cannot.
Now, I know many choose not to acknowledge fear directly. They push through, perhaps by sheer will. You see this everywhere – sports, business, even governance. While I won’t say this approach is wrong, as it clearly works for some, my own approach – and the one I find more sustainable – involves facing fear directly.
If we’ve acknowledged fear and let it pass, we can then focus on what needs to be done. Usually, this is twofold: how do we move forward, and how do we mitigate the risks we were afraid of? I advise being especially mindful here, because over-analysis leading to inaction is just another form of being too afraid to make a decision.
It’s also crucial to remember that many people we perceive as immune to fear likely aren’t. They are just as afraid. The significant difference is, they act anyway, despite the fear.
Mind you, my advice isn’t to simply charge ahead no matter how scary it feels. What’s important is that a deliberate decision is made. Sometimes, after assessing the risks, the most courageous decision is to pause, regroup, or choose a different path entirely. This isn’t giving in to fear; it’s exercising strategic judgment, which also requires courage. The key takeaway, especially in these turbulent times, is that we cannot let being afraid paralyze us from pursuing what we set out to do.
One last thing: in business, the thing we often fear most is failure. But again, let’s draw inspiration from that teenage sensation, Alex Eala. Despite her incredible run, she lost her semifinal match. While some might view that as a failure, we can look to her example. She ended her Instagram story write-up with words I love to hear from young competitors: “The real work starts now.”
Losses are only losses, and failures are only truly failures if we learn nothing from them. Though she lost, competing at the pinnacle of the game showed her what it takes, what that level looks like. She and her team now have a blueprint to do better.
So remember, should you lose or fail, don’t dwell on it. Look for the lessons. Because that, right there, is when the real work begins.
***The views expressed herein are his own and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of his office as well as FINEX. For comments, email joeldabao@mykcat.com. Photo is from Pinterest.