Recently, I heard a podcast from Michael Hyatt talking about why it’s lonely at the top. While we’ve all heard this, and know it to be true, I don’t think it needs to be.  Here’s why:

man standing at the top of the mountain

Easier Said Than Done

Simple principles are easier said or written down than executed.  One of the simplest principles in business is raising a hand to ask for help. It can be extremely difficult to say, “I don’t know what to do.” 

Recently, I was chatting with a business owner.  I was really curious to ask him a question that would get him outside his business.  I asked, “If you were going to advise someone else that started a business similar to yours, how would you recommend they get customers?” They’ve been in business for about three years, but their answer shocked me.  They said, “I don’t know.”

woman with thumbs up

Are You “Fine?”

This owner’s biggest challenge has been getting new leads into the top of his funnel. I really appreciated his honesty, and it was a great example of asking for help.  If he hadn’t, that’s where it gets lonely.  You can get stuck in your own thoughts if you don’t ever express your challenges or ask for help.

For example, if you’re having a bad day at the office, is your first thought to pick up a phone and call a friend? For me it absolutely was not. I tend to convince myself that everything is “fine,” and push down the challenges. However, I can personally attest that the value of community has been immense in my personal and professional life.

man standing alone

Feeling Lonely or Stuck?

This idea is similar to proximity, which I did a training on a few weeks ago. However, feeling lonely at the top has more to do with being stuck. There’s a shame aspect to admitting you don’t know what to do and need help. If you feel like you don’t want to bother someone with asking for help, you should pause. Sometimes you need someone to kick you in the butt or to just listen.

group of people talking

It Doesn’t Have To Be Lonely At The Top

So having a small group of people in business who you can call when you’re stuck is crucial. You don’t need to run through all the things you’ve tried and learned to qualify it…you just need to say, “I’m struggling and I don’t know what to do?” This is easy to hear but difficult to implement.

The bottom line is that being lonely at the top is a choice, and it’s not one you have to make. I choose far to often to not reach out, isolate, and let everyone think everything is fine. The reality more often than not is that I was struggling with maybe a team issue or a culture issue. Sometimes, I was just frustrated and needed to talk. No matter what, I wouldn’t just ask for help. So if you’re feeling stuck, or isolated, I want to invite you to reach out to me at Bradley@businessgrowthcurator.com. I’d love to chat or be a lifeline for some of you. Even if you don’t reach out, please don’t isolate. It doesn’t have to be lonely at the top.

Grow Your Leadership

Bradley has many resources to grow your leadership in the area of vision and priorities.  Check out a few of them:

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It’s difficult to get to your destination if you aren’t sure where you currently are!  After all, the path from Minnesota to Canada is very different than the path from Mexico to Canada.  If you aren’t certain where you’re at today in business, you need to take the Rainmaker to Architect assessment.  It will gauge your strengths and weaknesses as a leader and in your business.  Then, you’ll get detailed, specific suggestions for improvement.  Take the assessment here.