Speaker 1: Helping leaders motivate their people to a higher level of
Speaker 1: performance through strong human relations, team building, and golajieving. This
Speaker 1: is the seven Minute Leadership Podcast with your host Paul Fellowledo.
Speaker 2: Hello everyone, and welcome to the seven Minute Leadership Podcast.
Speaker 2: It's episode four nineteen. For this episode, we're talking about
Speaker 2: a simple idea that can completely change your leadership journey,
Speaker 2: and that's making sure that you have a leadership buddy
Speaker 2: at work, someone you can call vent to bounce ideas
Speaker 2: off of and get honest feedback from. So let me
Speaker 2: tell you something up front. Leadership is not a solo sport,
Speaker 2: and yet way too many leaders live in isolation. They
Speaker 2: walk the halls with their heads down, put on a
Speaker 2: brave face in meetings, and carry the weight of the
Speaker 2: organization alone. That's not strength, that's burnout waiting to happen.
Speaker 2: And here's the truth. Every leader needs a buddy, not
Speaker 2: just a peer, not just a colleague, but a true ally,
Speaker 2: someone who gets it, someone who knows the weight of responsibility.
Speaker 2: Someone who won't judge you for saying today sucked or
Speaker 2: I'm not sure how to handle this one. Let me
Speaker 2: give you a real example. I've had one of these
Speaker 2: leadership buddies for years. We don't work at the same company,
Speaker 2: but we're both in similar roles. Every few days, one
Speaker 2: of us will call the other and say, hey, got
Speaker 2: a minute, and then it happens a five or ten
Speaker 2: minute download that includes frustration, decision making, pressure, or the
Speaker 2: tough parts of leading people. Sometimes we just need to
Speaker 2: hear you're not crazy. I'd have done the same thing.
Speaker 2: Other times we need a push. You're better than that,
Speaker 2: and you know it. That one relationship has helped me
Speaker 2: reset my leadership compass more times than I can count.
Speaker 2: Here's why this matters. Number One, you need a safe space.
Speaker 2: Leadership buddies offer that rare zone where you can talk
Speaker 2: without filters, no politics, no performance reviews, no HR worries,
Speaker 2: just the truth. Number two, you get perspective. They're not
Speaker 2: buried in your day to day chaos, so they can
Speaker 2: see things you don't. They can ask better questions. They're
Speaker 2: not there to solve your problems, but they'll help you
Speaker 2: see them more clearly. Number Three, you build resilience. Venting
Speaker 2: isn't weakness, its release. It clears space in your mind
Speaker 2: so you can come back stronger bottled up leaders Eventually,
Speaker 2: explode or implode, and the last one you grow faster.
Speaker 2: Think about it. If you're the only one reviewing your
Speaker 2: leadership decisions, how do you grow? You need someone who
Speaker 2: can say I've been there or have you tried this? Now?
Speaker 2: Here's a key role. Your leadership buddy needs to be
Speaker 2: someone who has walked the path or is walking it
Speaker 2: right now. They understand the stakes, and they won't always
Speaker 2: tell you what you want to hear, but they'll always
Speaker 2: tell you what you need to hear. Don't mistake this
Speaker 2: for gossip. This isn't about talking badly about your team
Speaker 2: or throwing people under the bus. It's about helping you
Speaker 2: be better so that you can lead better. If you
Speaker 2: don't have a leadership buddy, here's three steps to fix
Speaker 2: that this week. Identify someone you respect, Think about someone
Speaker 2: inside or outside your organization who leads like you or
Speaker 2: how you want to lead, someone you'd trust to handle
Speaker 2: the keys to your car and your career, and then
Speaker 2: reach out. Start with something simple. I've been thinking about
Speaker 2: having a regular check in with another leader for mutual support,
Speaker 2: or you game and you'll be surprised how fast that
Speaker 2: idea catches fire. Most leaders are craving this too, and
Speaker 2: then make it a rhythm. You don't need to set
Speaker 2: weekly calendar invites or over engineer this. Just keep the
Speaker 2: door open. Know you've got someone on speed dial when
Speaker 2: the pressure builds, and offer the same in return and listen.
Speaker 2: If you're the top person in your organization, it's even
Speaker 2: more critical. The higher you rise, the lonelier it can get.
Speaker 2: The more people think you have all the answers, and
Speaker 2: the fewer people you feel comfortable opening up to, that's dangerous.
Speaker 2: You need someone who will say I've got your back
Speaker 2: even when no one else does. So today's leadership challenge
Speaker 2: is find your leadership buddy, someone who sees you, hears you,
Speaker 2: challenges you, and supports you. Someone you can say I
Speaker 2: need to vent or can I run something by you,
Speaker 2: and someone who knows you'll do the same for them.
Speaker 2: Because when leaders link arms, amazing things happen. You don't
Speaker 2: have to carry the burden alone. You don't have to
Speaker 2: lead in silence, you don't have to be a lone wolf.
Speaker 2: You can lead with backup and that changes everything. This
Speaker 2: has been the seven minute leadership podcast, and I thank
Speaker 2: you for listening.
Speaker 1: For more. Paul fell of Alito Podcasts visit Paulfellowalito dot com,