The term “Lizard Brain” has been thrown around the blogosphere a whole bunch lately thanks to Seth Godin’s phenomenal new book Linchpin.
I first heard the term from international direct response marketing legend John Carlton, who has also been harping on and on about Lizard Brain Fear (and why entrepreneurs must overcome it) for years.
From a psychological point of view, Lizard Brain Fear is a fight or flight reaction sent by the most ancient part of our brain.
The reaction tends to pop up when we attempt to do something extraordinary…. in business or life.
Protection in the jungle:
In an effort to protect us from the dangerous predators of ancient times, the Lizard Brain pumps us full of fear as we attempt to leave our comfort zone. For us entrepreneurs, leaving our comfort zone can (and should) be a daily occurrence!
“Leaving our comfort zone” used to mean leaving the safety of our caves. In a dangerous jungle, Lizard Brain reactions were not just appropriate, but mighty useful.
In the concrete jungle of today, Lizard Brain Fear is seldom warranted or helpful.
Seth Godin’s big message (for Linchpins and entrepreneurs) is to feel the fear and do it anyway.
I want to take things once step further with a practical technique for understanding and overcoming Lizard Brain Fear.
This is the final instalment in a series of articles on Sales Management – for people managing their own sales (every entrepreneur is), corporate team leaders or anyone in between.
I’ve got a fantastic idea for my business. I bet you’ve got a couple too.
