It’s tough out there.

 

Maybe you’re juggling how to hire the right people, how to get the right relationships with suppliers, how to be agile and responsive and still have a social life.

 

With the loneliness and isolation brought about by COVID-19, I was thinking about how different people experience this, and it reminded me of an interview I held with Heather Petherick.

 

She’s an amazing leadership and success coach who shared six reasons why CEOs, founders and business owners can feel lonely and isolated (check out the original podcast here). But talking about self-reliance and the lonely leader, maybe you (and I relate to this as well) might be unconsciously choosing to be isolated and unsupported without realizing it. Here’s how:

 

• In your quest to be authentic and not copy anyone else’s ideas, do you avoid getting too close to competitors or potential colleagues – and cut yourself off from different perspectives?

• Do you intentionally isolate to protect your ideas from competitors and critics, especially in the early stages of a new idea or venture?

• Do you try to protect others from your problems or concerns by showing your tough, poker-face – and shield others from the struggles you’re experiencing?

• Do you want to set an example, appear strong, confident and anchored in your decisions, and in doing so, mask your insecurities?

• Do you feel too tired and busy to go out and network to find a new mentor or get support when you need it?

• Do you make support conditional? Do you tell yourself you’ll get the right support or hire a coach when you (earn xxx or get those 5 new clients), if you (meet this target, perform this task), sometime soon (someday, not now) and so delay the success you seek?

 

If any of these resonate with you, you need to listen to this episode! Being self-reliant is amazing, but being a lonely leader, not so much. It’s one of the reasons why I created Elevated Conversations and took them online. And why teams are so important. Take a break and listen and hopefully, you’ll leave inspired.

 

Are you an entrepreneur looking to exit, or at the helm of a thriving business or startup? I would love to talk with you about your stories! You can drop me a line here.

 

And if you’d like to attend my next Elevated Conversations event (coming up in April), you can apply here.