We’ve all experienced the loneliness of leadership – at least to some degree – and business leaders are starting to address its unspoken challenges. I recommend, “How to Overcome the Loneliness of Leadership,” in Construction Business Owner.
Being the person in charge of a business is a difficult job, especially when unforeseen circumstances force us to make tough decisions single-handedly and the outcomes are uncertain. The Coronavirus showed everyone just how exhausting and frustrating our jobs can be. It’s no surprise that business leaders feel stressed and unfulfilled by the decisions they make. Their jobs can be lonely.
I’ve learned, from my experiences working with the leaders of many successful Colorado law firms and construction companies, that vetting the challenges of leadership with a trusted colleague or advisor on a regular basis makes it much easier for business leaders to balance the weight of their responsibilities with the satisfaction that comes from doing their jobs to the best of their abilities every day.
Strategic leadership takes wisdom, time, and energy. Although, it seldom produces a visible badge of accomplishment. For example, executing a successful plan over a period of a few years that significantly increases the economic value of a business enterprise is a tremendous achievement. But, for some reason, that accomplishment just doesn’t seem to produce the same sense of gratification and recognition that often comes from closing a multi-million-dollar business deal or completing a sensational construction project on time and within the budget.
So, how do we prepare ourselves and our colleagues for these challenges? One possibility: Be willing to share your valuable experiences and insights as a trusted mentor or advisor to the next generation of Colorado business owners and leaders.
In my opinion, a good mentor is someone who willingly serves as an experienced sounding board to help expand a colleague’s perspective on professional issues that truly matter. Good mentors are skilled at asking the right questions, being good listeners, and offering relevant points of view.
For more insights into meeting the challenges of leadership development, I suggest you consider, “Young Lawyers: Making the Most Out of Your Mentoring Relationships,” in Attorney at Work.
The fact is, we all will benefit greatly from having good mentors who help us realize greater satisfaction and rewards from our jobs, by simply reminding us to selflessly shift our focus away from the value of our own work to the value of the achievements of our team or practice group.