It's Lonely At The Top - But It Needn't Be

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

A client of mine told me recently "you're the closest thing I have to a business partner". We'd been working on increasing his revenue by 400%, troubleshooting his psychological approach to success and working on creating the causes of growth with a thorough and measurable strategy. He's the sole Director of his business and having a coach means he can amplify his own wisdom, get clear on what success really means to him personally and share the journey.

It's a common scenario for leaders. Having a key ally they can work with - someone that can challenge and help them gain deeper insights. Sometimes it's a business partner, consultant or a mentor. Sometimes this person is a coach. For my clients, having that indispensable partner means they get results in a way isn't possible on their own. Plus it's much more fun than taking that lonely path.

Avoidable Pain

Not all leaders seem to be going far together though. The Harvard Business Review reported that half of business leaders feel lonely and that 61% felt this impeded their performance. They added that newly appointed business leaders are particularly susceptible to the negative effects of feeling isolated.

It's no surprise that this problem exists but it seems so avoidable - whether you have a coach or other ally or not. The main issue here is the thinking that keeps us confined within a narrow version of who we are and what others mean to us. A combination of fear, anxiety, and inhibitive beliefs can power our behaviour to such an extent that we end up feeling alone - even if we are surrounded by great people. Our own story within our heads is the biggest challenge we face and that's why sharing the journey with a trusted ally is such a powerful thing.

Amplifying Your Own Power

It seems that whenever we set about tackling a problem, some of our thinking gets in the way. "I can't do this", "what will they think of me?" and a myriad of other thoughts (often accompanied by crippling feelings) can really hold us back.

The one insight that can really make a difference is seeing that these thoughts are just thoughts, just a story. They're not real and they're not us. Once you see that for yourself you can ignore the unhelpful ones and get out of your own way. It's that key insight that can amplify your power in any situation - freeing you up to overcome feelings of isolation and start to improve the relationships that really matter to your business.

Having a coach that understands you and how the mind works means you'll always be on the right track and progress will be easier. It will supercharge your common-sense and make the journey infinitely more productive.