I went to Television-Radio school.

While I could tell you the differences between when to cut between “Camera 1” and “Camera 2”, naturally, I had less clarity on what happened in my body when it, unbeknownst to me, cut between my parasympathetic nervous system (“rest and digest”) and my sympathetic nervous system (“fight or flight”).

In search of answers, I found a brain sherpa in Nicholas Alp.

To Americanize the good Doctor (sorry Nicholas), Dr. Alp is my color commentator on the nervous system. American football fans: think Tony Romo. (Really sorry Nicholas).

Nicholas was recommended to me from a dear friend while I was writing Return On Courage.

He has a PhD in Immunology — the study of the immune system — from Cambridge. More than that, he is an exceptional teacher, human and (now) friend who I can turn to on a regular basis to explain what the heck is going on in me when I’m scared.

We’ve had many conversations about freeze, fear, flight or fight. How “we the people” truly haven’t evolved that much. Nicholas has shared with me in the past a quote I now share from many stages now:

“We have to accept the limitations of our ancient heritage. We have to come with strategies that help us manage bad emotions and fear.”

When we were cave people and a bear was chasing us for berries, our systems were quite optimal. Cortisol hit the right parts of the body so you could truly stay alive. Today? That same response is triggered when a boss bites your head off or when you’re frustrated parked in rush hour traffic.

Just because this is our standard operating system, doesn’t mean that, overtime, certain humans haven’t taken their minds to the gym to overcome this “fight or flight” reality.

It has been shared with me:

95% of people’s standard operating system is fear, freeze or flight.

5% of people’s standard operating system is fight.

That also means:

95% of us are Worriers.

5% of us are Warriors.

95% of leaders are driven by Fear.

5% of leaders are driven by Courage.

95% of organizations are in Preservation mode.

5% of organizations are in Liberation mode.

I often do this bit in my keynotes where I’ll make 5% of the audience standup.

I’ll ask them to look around.

Which would you rather be?

Stuck and sitting with the 95%?

Or taking a stand with the 5%?