Leaders can be lonely at the top!
Leaders often tell us that one of the drawbacks to being in charge is that they feel lonely and isolated. Ironically, at the very time when leaders need colleagueship the most, they experience it the least. Some loneliness is self-imposed and some is not. Many leaders have difficulty reaching out to others with comparable levels of experience and savvy. Many feel a lack of safety in sharing personal challenges and frustrations with internal colleagues. They are concerned that exposing their own vulnerability may one day bite them in the back, even if what is said is “in confidence.” Yet, particularly in new positions of responsibility and authority, leaders are more effective and less stressed when they bounce ideas off of, see a different perspective, find an experienced guide with and in a trusted advisor. (more…)
