Three Ways To Overcome The Leadership Loneliness
- Nov 15, 2022
- 4 min read
Written by: Nathalie Colin, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Often, one of the most prominent challenges CEOs or leaders face is loneliness. Bosses or top managers may have difficulties telling in confidence what they go through. Leaders want to protect the people they care about from their doubts, fears, or concerns. And they end up having no one to trust enough to challenge their thoughts and shift their perspective on what they experience.
And because they are the Boss, the people they work with often hesitate to speak their truth and offer their disruptive ideas.
Leaders end up caught up in their inner chatter. And sometimes, keep on addressing the issues with the same thinking as usual, which doesn't benefit their organization. As Einstein said: "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." In this article, I propose one common sense and two unconventional solutions to the loneliness of leadership. Are you ready to shake your point of view?
The actual Board of the company
As a CEO, you can reach out to the actual Board of your company. Again, this is where you should develop a culture of open talk. When you make sure various expertise are represented in your Board and when you set the intention of transparency, it helps sort out strategic issues and supports the company's development.
But the reality is that even though you have succeeded in creating such a great culture at a board level, you may still have an inner voice preventing you from genuinely sharing what you deal with as a boss. And that's perfectly normal.
Plus, what do you do when you're a solopreneur or do not belong to any board? Are you condemned to the loneliness of leadership? No! There are other accessible alternatives. And my favorite one consists in creating your Boards of Consciousness!
The Personal Advisory Board.
Even though you're a boss or a leader, as a human being, you live in environments other than your work where you know people you truly trust. To overcome your loneliness and benefit from a fresh perspective, you may create your "Personal Advisory Board." You will invite a small circle of persons not business related but whom you can lean on. These people should match your values and remain kind in interacting with you.
What matters is that you feel safe enough to share with them what you go through and ask for their authentic feedback or advice.
Feeling safe means that:
You can open up to them without fearing to worry them. There might be better options than a lover or a family member for such a board.
You fully trust them for their experience/expertise. They will provide some refreshing and unbiased points of view. But choose them wisely. A dear friend but competitor may still answer with unconscious filters even though they have the best intentions for you.
There is no need to regularly summon a "Personal Advisory Board" with all the members. You can instead call upon some of them 1:1 according to their experience and field of expertise when you feel stuck in your head and need some open challenge.
The Soul Board.
Now, to elevate your level of consciousness and think out of the box, I suggest you create your Soul Board. The persons you invite in are not physically present. Instead, call their energy, mindset, and philosophy of life and put yourself in their shoes to get insights about your situation. These persons can be alive or dead. They could be people who inspire you a lot, such as Einstein (in my case). Or they could also be some spiritual kind of "wise masters" to whom you feel very connected (angels, Buddha, a Divine Source, the Universe...). Or even a much older version of yourself!
So, when you feel alone and stuck, this is the moment when you can call upon your "Soul Board" and ask each of its members to offer you their broader view. Don't be shy. Nobody can see you. Play the game and engage the conversation with them. You will be surprised at what you get from these unconventional exchanges.
And such a Board is always available to you in a minute. Your time is precious. And the members of your Soul Board are always at your service whenever you need them.
So, who will you invite to your "Personal Advisory Board" and "Soul Board"?
And if you need more 1:1 safe space where to share what you can't anywhere else and where you will elevate your business consciousness, book a call with me. I'd love to talk to you.
Nathalie Colin, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Nathalie Colin is a Business coach on a mission to help pioneers increase their positive impact globally. In 2015 she came close to a stroke, and she initiated a spiritual journey that led her to quit her successful career in advertising strategy. The leaders and entrepreneurs she coaches are visionary, humble, generous, and work tirelessly. But seeking excellence, they control or suppress part of themselves and often live as impostors. Deep inside, they feel frustrated and think they are missing out on something essential. Nathalie helps them raise their Consciousness, lead from Soul and boldly expand their Contribution to this world.
