Once upon a time, there was a warrior whose teacher told him he had to battle fear. He didn’t want to, because it was scary. But his teacher said he must do it, and gave him instructions for the battle.

When the day arrived, the student warrior stood on one side, while fear stood on the other. The warrior felt small, while fear was large and intimidating. They both had their weapons, but suddenly the warrior fell to the ground and asked fear, “How can I defeat you?”

Fear replied: “My weapons are that I talk fast. And I get very close to your face. Then you get completely unnerved and do what I say. If you don’t do what I tell you, I have no power.”

With that, the student warrior learned how to defeat fear.

When things fall apart and you start feeling fear, feel lucky instead. Because only when you feel fear will you have the courage to overcome it. Being courageous and having a great life is all about being intimate with fear. Rather than being depressed or scared about fear, lean into it and see it as an opportunity to learn and grow.

My friend motivational speaker Les Brown said, “Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.”

Don’t be afraid to confront your fears. If you are afraid, admit it. We all face fears and anxieties every day, and the only way to overcome them and succeed is to recognize them so we can confront them directly.

-- Examine your fears by identifying them. Spend some time each morning asking yourself what might happen during the day that you’re afraid of -- failure to reach the people you need to talk to, for example, or getting lost on the way to an appointment.

-- Take preventive steps. Think of what you can do to prevent your fear from coming true. Be on the lookout for behaviors and thoughts that add to your fear, and train yourself to change your patterns of action and thinking.

-- Learn from your fears. You’ll succeed or fail. Either way, use the experience of confronting your fear to overcome new problems.

Fear is the factor that prevents many from taking risks that can mean the difference between mediocrity and success.

Many years ago, I wrote a column about the Second Ten Commandments. Commandment two stated: Thou shall not be fearful, for most of the things we fear never come to pass. Every crisis you face is multiplied when you act out of fear. Fear is a self-fulfilling emotion. When you fear something, you empower it. If you refuse to concede to fear, there is nothing to fear.

Companies that make bold moves rarely do so without some element of fear. Leaders worry every day whether they have acted too soon or are missing some unanticipated obstacles when they introduce new products or services. Have they performed their due diligence? Will their decisions pay off?

Those choices are never easy, but then business is never easy. Successful organizations know how to master their fear and put it in the proper perspective. They know their target markets and customers well enough to predict their chances of winning. They understand that if an idea fails, it most likely will not spell imminent doom.

They understand the difference between confidence and arrogance. I’ve seen plenty of businesses succumb to arrogance when a reasonable dose of fear might have prevented their failure. Fear can be useful when it is used to guide practical decision-making.

But fear can paralyze you, preventing you from achieving, even from living. Can you actually die from fear? Most likely not. What fear kills is your spirit, your ambition, your confidence.

Here’s another story to illustrate my point. The commanding general in the Persian army would go through a rather unusual ritual with captured spies: He would give criminals a choice between the firing squad or going through a big black door.

Most spies decided on the firing squad, with the usual results.

Turning to his aide, the general said, “They always prefer the known way to the unknown. It is typical of people to be afraid of the undefined. Yet, we gave them a choice.”

“What lies behind the big black door?” asked the aide.

“Freedom,” replied the general, “and I've only known a few brave enough to take it.”

Mackay’s Moral: Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark, professionals built the Titanic.

An estimated 50 million Americans quit their jobs last year, causing massive headaches and a tremendous amount of lost productivity and revenue for companies.

The reasons vary. A good salary is no longer enough. Work conditions and other factors are more important than ever. In addition to compensation, employees also want to have a sense of purpose, opportunities for career advancement, recognition, a culture of trust and flexibility to work from home when possible.

Every employee is different. That’s why companies need to start conducting “stay” interviews more than “exit” interviews to find out what matters most to employees.

When I started Mackay Envelope Company many years ago, I created a program we call “One-On-One,” where I spent 20 to 30 minutes yearly with every employee and asked them what was on their mind. They were free to share any thoughts or concerns with no repercussions.

It was much easier when I was building the company and we had fewer employees. When my partner, Scott Mitchell, came on board as president in the early 1990s, he kept the program going, even though we had grown to 400 employees. This program has been invaluable for our company in retaining employees at an extremely high rate. It’s important to get out from behind a desk and visit with every employee.

As author John le Carre said, “A desk is a dangerous place from which to view the world.”

We also have an open-door policy where employees can come in and talk with Scott, me or any manager about anything without ramifications. Remember, employees don’t leave companies; they leave managers.

I believe strongly in recognition and appreciation. Prompt, sincere and public recognition is incredibly important in retaining and attracting employees. It’s human nature for everyone to want to be appreciated for doing a good job. When people humbly say “I was just doing my job,” it’s fine to remind them they were doing their job well, and you are grateful for their effort.

I’ve always tried to give recognition in front of a group and single people out among their peers. Why not give others something to strive for and show them how you value good performance?

Recognition programs create a positive work environment by reinforcing desired behaviors, motivating high performance, increasing morale and supporting organizational mission and values.

I am convinced that T-R-U-S-T is the most important five-letter word in business -- not sales or money or any other replaceable commodities. Trust can be fragile, especially in the workplace.

At every level of every organization, workers need to understand the importance of keeping their word. Employees want to know they can depend on management. Trust between managers and employees is crucial to the long-term enthusiasm, loyalty and productivity of the company. For any successful working relationship, trust is a must.

Employees want to feel that they are part of a team on a mission and that they have a purpose in achieving company goals. I recently wrote a column about Alan Mulally, the former CEO of the Ford Motor Company, and his “Working Together” leadership and management system, which states employees must have a clear sense of purpose in any organization.

It’s important to know where you want to go; to have a purpose. Finding that purpose is among life’s biggest challenges. Discovering what is important to you, what you are passionate about and where you can make a difference -- those are the factors that drive your purpose.

Career advancement is another factor for many in retaining employees. Managers need to let employees know that there is room to grow, develop and progress in the organization. Managers must take a personal interest in an employee’s career goals and promote training and development. That could mean rotating employee roles or suggesting a mentor or adviser.

No one wants a dead-end job. A 2021 report by Monster states that 45% of employees surveyed would have stayed at their current jobs if they were offered more training.

Employees who participate in professional development are more productive. Employee development also boosts profitability. Research from the MIT Sloan School of Management showed that an employer’s year-long soft skills training program led to a roughly 250% return on investment within eight months.

Bottom line: It is infinitely more productive to retain good employees in whom you have invested and who are invested in you. Nurture that relationship carefully to keep your business thriving.

Mackay’s Moral: Take care of your employees if you want them to take care of you.

The road to success is a lot like a marathon. You have to train hard, plan a route and set a pace that will take you where you want to go.

For example, if you run as fast as you can for the first mile of a marathon, you may be in the lead, but you will soon be passed by runners going at a sustainable pace. You never want to run out of energy. For most people, the goal of a marathon is not to lead, but to finish the entire 26.2 miles.

Having completed 10 marathons, I know that success and life are similar to marathons. You need to find a pace that works for you and not a breakneck pace that will result in failure and burnout. Once you find a pace that works, you can carry your action plan to a successful conclusion.

Setting a healthy pace at work is important to prevent physical exhaustion and strain, mental fatigue, stress and workplace injuries.

I understand that working at a regular pace can’t always be achieved. There will be busy times and slow times, but, in general, if you aren’t working at a healthy pace, you need to examine why.

Knowing how much you can reasonably handle should be the driver for setting your plan in motion. That doesn’t translate to being lazy or afraid to say no. On the contrary, it demonstrates your commitment to long-term success.

Every long-term plan should have short-term steps, which is why there’s the old saying, “Yard by yard, life is hard, but inch by inch, it’s a cinch.”

Here are some tips to help you set a healthy pace for yourself and improve your productivity, morale and motivation:

-- Take regular breaks. I’m a firm believer in getting up and moving around, taking a quick respite from your thoughts to allow you to better focus on the task at hand. For longer breaks, if you can afford the time, go for a walk or hit a few golf balls to recharge your batteries. Be physically active. Sometimes you need both mental and physical breaks.

-- Change tasks often. I’ve found that if I jump to different tasks for a while, it refreshes me and allows me to refocus. Just be careful not to let the other tasks distract you from completing your original project.

-- Listen to your body. For example, if your neck or shoulders are getting sore from staring at a computer, get up and stretch. Do some exercises.

-- Maintain a work/life balance. Your free time should be just that. Use this time to relax and help you return to work feeling energized. Set boundaries for phone calls and email responses.

-- Plan your assignments. Divide your assignments into small, tangible steps. It’s hard to complete large assignments in one session. Again, set a reliable pace to prevent burnout.

-- Set reachable goals with deadlines. After all, if you don’t set goals to determine where you’re going, how will you know when you get there? You can’t hit the target if you don’t take aim.

-- Pump up the fun. So many companies today are adding fun things in the office: pool, pingpong, cornhole (bean bag toss), golf and so on. A change to bright colors might help too. One company I heard about added an espresso machine and has 3 p.m. latte chats.

If all this fails, talk to your supervisor or manager, who can offer suggestions on remaining productive, or consider getting a mentor to help you reach your short- and long-term goals. Often an objective assessment will uncover problem areas and potential pathways to improvement. It also demonstrates your willingness to take action.

We all remember Aesop’s fable “The Tortoise and the Hare.” Forward progress, even at a slower pace than you had hoped for, is still the goal. Take the time to do it right, so you don’t have to take the time to do it over.

Mackay’s Moral: You don’t have to go fast; you just have to go.