Leadership Principle #13. Landmines – The Career Killers. Part 2 of 5 – Isolation

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Leadership Principle #13.  Landmines – the Career Killers. 

Part 2 of 5 – Isolation

It’s lonely at the top.  That’s a fact of being a CEO.

Thorough your journey, you’ve likely been used to being on an executive team, but now you lead the team.  You have a board, but they’re your bosses.  Suddenly you find yourself without a peer group, on top of which, you’re experiencing different pressures and expectations like you’ve never experienced before.  Whether they are team problems, next quarter’s KPIs, financial stresses or board pressures, without a built-in peer group for support, who do you talk to about your challenges?

Why is this such a big deal and a potential landmine?  It’s because isolation is really about FEAR and TRUTH.  Not connecting regularly with peers skews your perspectives on problems and challenges, so the truth of a situation is distorted.  By not frequently talking through your business problems with those who really get it, problems start to become bigger than they really are in your head.  You find yourself awake at 3am with your mind spinning, unable to figure out a solution, which leads to fear and uncertainty. 

Many times, these problems may not be as bad as they seem.  Trust me -- I’ve been there in my career, and also coached many other executives through similar challenges.  The truth will come out of these discussions, but you will need to get these problems out of your head and into the daylight to see the bigger picture.  However, if you’re not regularly connecting with peers to have these discussions, and getting feedback and perspectives from those who understand, the fears start to run your show and you lose your confidence.  Boom….landmine.

It takes time and energy to seek out a peer group, though you will see it’s clearly worth the effort.  CEO coaching can also be a solution that works for many executives as well.  Reach out for a conversation if you would like to learn more.

Next landmine…Lack of Adaption

Scott Stano