Great Leaders Don’t Make Autonomy Their GoalDO YOU FEEL ISOLATED AS A LEADER? It has been a goal for most of my life to be a person that leads himself. I think that part of the reason was that when I was growing up, there wasn’t much money and a father figure around. I felt like I needed to be the man of the house and to lead. My first business was when I was 13, my neighbors needed their lawns mowed and I needed cash. I liked the feeling of freedom and being in charge of my own destiny. The illusion of control and power was very intoxicating, autonomy became my goal. I felt that if I was in charge, I wouldn’t have to be afraid of the future. Over the years, I have chosen positions at companies and entrepreneurial endeavors that aligned me with that goal. Most of my friendships have been to advance my career. I have surrounded myself with people that profited in some way in having a relationship with me. This has proven to be dangerous because it isolated me from getting good input in making critical decisions. Consequently, I have made choices that were based on the bias of someone that had a stake in the outcome. My conclusion is that autonomy as a leader is an unworthy goal. How to Recognize Isolation as a Leader Are you willing to give access to people that don’t work for you or don’t have a stake in your success? If you are surrounded by people that are getting a paycheck for their involvement, this is a very dangerous place to be, because they are “yes” people and will only tell you what you want to hear. How Great Leaders Don’t Become Isolated Fulfilled leaders have to seek out other leaders to get unbiased feedback in making wise decisions. Building a community of like- minded leaders will eliminate isolation and the feeling of being disconnected. I have found that some of the most fulfilling relationships have been with people that don’t have a personal stake in my success. In studying great leaders, I have found that there is a common thread. They are all part of a mastermind or a peer review type of group. These associations are typically by invitation only. The purpose is for fellowship and forming a community with like- minded leaders that don’t have any personal gain from the affiliation. Most areas have these types of groups. Checkout your local meet-ups and associations that have leaders in their memberships. RECALIBRATE >> RESTART >> THRIVE |
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