The fear of failure, the fear of letting others down, the fear of looking bad or losing others' respect are some of the common fears that hold people back. These fears are often not rational and are very emotional. They are an active force in driving behavior that isn't productive.
We all feel fear at one point or another. According to Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey, experts in the field of adult development, most people deal with fear more than they realize.