One of the hardest challenges for CEOs who take their role seriously is the need to continually shine a light, to show a destination, to create hope. And to do that whatever is happening in the world around you.
The challenge is that leaders are human too. Yes, vulnerability is a good thing, but it’s a fine line between vulnerability and victimhood. A leader who emanates a feeling of little or no control or direction rapidly influences everyone s/he leads. And it’s all too easy for it to spiral once the gates open.
But humanity is real, and emotional overwhelm is a thing. Last year, I had more deaths in close people around me than I should have reasonably expected in 5 years. The emotional toll is large. But you add to that responsibilities to family and to team, and increasingly (thankfully) to community and environment, and it can quickly seem like too much.
And it’s hard to feel like you can truly open up if you’ve always been the shoulder, always been the pillar, always embraced responsibility and accountability for what you do and its impact.
There’s no spreadsheet cell that gives a definitive answer to this. Self care, physical and mental; digging into values; prioritising and more importantly, deprioritising; embracing team; giving from your lowest point and highest self – all of these and more help depending on your context.
And so does a community of people with similar responsibilities, all on a journey leading their companies, and going through their own similar or different issues.
How we can support you
- Join us on a workshop on how to scale your company; create time to focus on the bigger picture; and keep values and purpose core to your company. For max 5 CEOs of companies with revenues between £1.5m and £15m.
- Subscribe to our weekly Build on Purpose newsletter. Every Saturday morning, we'll send you a short focussed read on a specific topic of how to lead a company that values both profit and purpose.
- Talk to us to explore how we can help you scale your company in the direction you want to take it.