A Psychoanalytic View of Shyness and Its Impact on Professional Fulfilment

Quite often, clients turn to coaching with requests: "I want to move up the career ladder," "I want professional growth," "I want to become a leader," "I want to reach a new level," but "I'm too modest" or "I'm too shy." Philip Zimbardo, a professor of psychology at Stanford University, in his large-scale study revealed that more than 80% of people experience shyness during their lifetime in certain situations, and more than 40% of them consider themselves shy everywhere so far. Thus, it is inevitable that there are people, regardless of whether they are employees, entrepreneurs or freelancers, for whom their own shyness is a significant problem that affects their career and professional self-realization. In today's world, where professional development and leadership qualities are among the key aspects of a successful career, understanding and overcoming shyness becomes an important task for many, including for realizing their own intrapersonal potential to the fullest. Which makes this study particularly relevant. The purpose of this work was an in-depth study of the phenomenon of shyness and its impact on professional self-realization and leadership in the context of psychoanalytic theory. The possibility of using psychoanalytic coaching to solve business queries related to shyness was also considered. The empirical part of the study is based on the analysis of coaching sessions with clients. The results of the study demonstrate that shyness as a psychological phenomenon is deeply rooted in unconscious conflicts originating in early relationships with significant objects. It was also revealed that shyness can have a significant impact on professional self-realization and the realization of leadership potential. This work expands the understanding of shyness as a multifaceted and complex psychological phenomenon that requires an individual approach. The results obtained can be used by coaches, psychologists, HR specialists and managers to develop programs for personal development and improving the professional effectiveness of employees.