Lonesome Leadership

Leadership can be lonesome. Once you become a leader those who you used to hang out with and socialize with somehow shun you. They don’t always include the leader in their personal discussions or the camaraderie they may have.

It doesn’t have to be that way it is up to the leader to make sure that it doesn’t become an “us versus them” situation. Sometimes the leader is the one who starts to associate only with other leaders and not with the followers or the co-workers.

Leader shouldn’t be lonesome. It is a people position and it isn’t about the leader it is about the people they lead. That is why the leader needs to include others and make sure it is about the followers.

Here are some things to do to make sure you keep leadership a people role.

• Find out what your people like.
• Ask them about their day or weekend.
• Be genuinely interested in their life.
• If possible include yourself in department activities. If the group goes out to lunch and they invite you, go if you don’t have a meeting.
• Be a leader in this area as well by suggesting ideas for department bonding.

Do these things and leadership won’t be lonesome and you will find you will be grooming the next round of leaders.