The Painful Price of Leadership

You may have already noticed that you pay a price for success and leadership, don’t you!

In a recent coaching call with my client who manages 100’s of employees, it hit her like a ton of bricks how alone she felt at work. So many meetings in a day, surrounded by people (virtually ) and yet no one to really consult with or talk to.. Adding the pressures of a female leader in a male-dominated environment, she felt quite alone in her decision-making process.

She’s not alone. I have observed that leaders have fewer people to talk to when things get tough, don’t they !!!

If you’re a high-level executive, I am positive you can relate to her story. You work with 100’s of people but no one that you can confidentially share your struggles or even use as a sounding board.

My client and I continued to process what story she was exactly holding on to.

Despite being completely fulfilled in her job, she missed the ability to consult before making big decisions. For her specifically, it came down to fully trusting her decision-making abilities.

You may or may not relate to her belief, but there’s always a story or a belief behind any struggle, isn’t there. So, if you’re struggling with feeling lonely, my invitation to you is to dive deeper into what exactly is causing those feelings.

Here’s my 3 part recommendation to leaders who feel alone.

1. Power of Silence. Prof Kramer of Kellogg School of Business recommends leaders to regularly turn off the noise to be better leaders. It is the same reason Steve Jobs practiced Zen Mindfulness Meditation. If you knew that you can receive any guidance/answers in silence, you would do this every day, wouldn’t you? The answers lie within, doesn’t it !!
2. Seek support elsewhere. Have you fully considered reaching out to other high-level executives with similar values outside the company. There’s a reason that masterminds are so popular these days, aren’t they !!!
3. Trust your inner wisdom & intuition to make decisions or who to talk to. As Albert Einstein once said “ the only real thing is intuition”. Like building a new muscle, intuition is developed over time. It starts with trusting yourself. Consider that !!

Share your thoughts and share this article with anyone.