If you ask a leader what his biggest struggle with is in leadership, you will often hear a single answer. Leadership is lonely. I have no one to go to with my leadership struggles.
It’s a fact of life that leadership can be lonely. Leaders can have a hard time finding a true friend whom they can confide and believe in. Especially because most of the leader’s time is spent with others within the organization.
This isolation makes leadership lonely. Loneliness then makes leadership difficult.
But leadership doesn’t have to be lonely. You can have vibrant relationships from within and without your organization.
How To Make Leadership Less Lonely
We’re going to look at how you can make leadership less lonely. And that’s a good thing.
You know relationships make you a better person, even a better leader. By leaning on and confiding in others, you’re able to lessen the burdens of leadership. You don’t have to take the weight of leadership all by your lonesome self.
You probably already have a few healthy relationships in your life. There’s your spouse. And then there’s your children. You may have a childhood friend you’re still on talking terms with.
But who do you go to when leadership is heavy? Who do you share the struggles of your work with without bringing those troubles to your own door?
This is why you need to form relationships with other leaders. They understand what you’re going through. They’ve been there and done that or about to go through what you’re going through.
To make leadership less lonely, you need to associate with other leaders. They’ll help you carry the heavy weight you’re carrying without burdening your loved ones.
How To Form Relationships With Other Leaders
Leaders are busy people. It can be a struggle to connect with other leaders because of the commitments they have to their own organization and their families. They don’t want to take time away from their families yet they must if they want to form meaningful relationships with other leaders.
You can form relationships with other leaders by:
Attending workshops/business events: An easy way to meet and hobnob with other leaders is through workshops and business events. Workshops and business events put leaders in a room together and they have to be there for a set amount of time.
Use this time to get to know other leaders. Find out their interests. Ask about their lives and families. Get to know them so you can decide whether or not they would make a good friend.
If they seem like someone you might be interested in getting to know more, ask for a business card. Find out how they like to connect and then begin connecting with them.
Ask an admired leader out to lunch: Don’t want to take time away from your family to meet and get to know another leader? Find a local, admired leader and ask to take them out to lunch.
You can either ask someone within your organization who might be a good person to connect with. Or you might seek them out on Facebook or Twitter. It’s easy to find other leaders on social media by searching leader or leadership or business owner and your city. There should be an amazing number of results.
When you find someone you think could be a potential friend, ask them out to lunch. Talk to them about what’s going on in their lives. Then let them know what’s going on in your life. You’d be amazed at how many leaders in your area would love to connect with you.
Look for people in your place of worship: You probably attend a church or place of worship already. And if you’re a leader, there’s bound to be other leaders inside of your church as well.
Keep your eyes open. Listen to what’s being said around you. You’ll hear people begin to talk about leaders who should be connecting with.
When you hear of these people, make note of their names. Seek them out. Find a way to make a connection.
Working out at the gym: Wait… what?!? How can I form relationships with other leaders by working out at the gym?
That’s an easy answer. Much like there are leaders at your place of worship, there are also leaders at your local gym. Like you, they know the value of keeping their bodies in shape so they go to the gym to work on their physical health.
You can look for leaders at the gym while you work out. Not only that, you can discuss life and leadership issues with them while you’re working out too. Both of you are in the same place at the same time, so why not get to know the leaders who are working out at the gym?
The great thing about building relationships at the gym is that most people go to the gym on a regular basis. You can have continued conversations over multiple gym visits and build the relationship you need as a leader.
Whew, that’s quite a bit to take in. But I hope this helps you discover how and where you can build relationships so you can make leadership less lonely.
It’ll take work but you’re worth it. Your family is worth it.
Go, build relationships.
