Redefine the meaning of ‘failure’ for yourself. There are lots of studies out there that show that women are more risk averse than men (potentially because they are judged more harshly than their male counterparts when they do ‘fail’). Certainly, for a lot of my life, I was ruled by fear of failure. It drove me to work hard. However, I realized that my perception of failure was overly narrow. I used to gauge it solely by my performance in specific tasks—be it a subject, a skill, or a job. Yet, this approach proved restrictive in the long run. 

At school, if I put in the effort and time, I saw results. In our careers though, there are a lot more variables and it will be impossible to avoid stumbling — sometimes, because of things that are outside of our control. Other times, because we are not spending our time and effort in the right direction. To combat the constant fear of failure, I learned to broaden my definition of it, which meant expanding my goals. 

For example, instead of defining your success by your performance in your current job, imagine your goal to be an entrepreneur and/or industry disrupter. Any mishap you experience is one fewer mistake you might make with your own business. Instead of fixating on your colleagues’ opinions, aim for the national or even global stage. Every topic you're not well-versed in today presents an opportunity for growth, preparing you for more significant meetings ahead.

Seeing the world that way allows me to see any stumbling block today as a valuable, but ultimately just a small part of a much bigger puzzle that leads to my end goal. The beauty of this is that each time I feel cornered, I can simply make my puzzle bigger!