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<v Speaker 1>Helping leaders motivate their people to a higher level of

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<v Speaker 1>performance through strong human relations, team building, and golajieving. This

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<v Speaker 1>is the seven Minute Leadership Podcast with your host Paul Fellowledo.

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<v Speaker 2>Hello everyone, and welcome to the seven Minute Leadership Podcast.

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<v Speaker 2>It's episode four nineteen. For this episode, we're talking about

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<v Speaker 2>a simple idea that can completely change your leadership journey,

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<v Speaker 2>and that's making sure that you have a leadership buddy

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<v Speaker 2>at work, someone you can call vent to bounce ideas

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<v Speaker 2>off of and get honest feedback from. So let me

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<v Speaker 2>tell you something up front. Leadership is not a solo sport,

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<v Speaker 2>and yet way too many leaders live in isolation. They

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<v Speaker 2>walk the halls with their heads down, put on a

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<v Speaker 2>brave face in meetings, and carry the weight of the

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<v Speaker 2>organization alone. That's not strength, that's burnout waiting to happen.

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<v Speaker 2>And here's the truth. Every leader needs a buddy, not

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<v Speaker 2>just a peer, not just a colleague, but a true ally,

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<v Speaker 2>someone who gets it, someone who knows the weight of responsibility.

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<v Speaker 2>Someone who won't judge you for saying today sucked or

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<v Speaker 2>I'm not sure how to handle this one. Let me

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<v Speaker 2>give you a real example. I've had one of these

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<v Speaker 2>leadership buddies for years. We don't work at the same company,

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<v Speaker 2>but we're both in similar roles. Every few days, one

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<v Speaker 2>of us will call the other and say, hey, got

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<v Speaker 2>a minute, and then it happens a five or ten

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<v Speaker 2>minute download that includes frustration, decision making, pressure, or the

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<v Speaker 2>tough parts of leading people. Sometimes we just need to

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<v Speaker 2>hear you're not crazy. I'd have done the same thing.

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<v Speaker 2>Other times we need a push. You're better than that,

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<v Speaker 2>and you know it. That one relationship has helped me

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<v Speaker 2>reset my leadership compass more times than I can count.

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<v Speaker 2>Here's why this matters. Number One, you need a safe space.

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<v Speaker 2>Leadership buddies offer that rare zone where you can talk

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<v Speaker 2>without filters, no politics, no performance reviews, no HR worries,

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<v Speaker 2>just the truth. Number two, you get perspective. They're not

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<v Speaker 2>buried in your day to day chaos, so they can

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<v Speaker 2>see things you don't. They can ask better questions. They're

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<v Speaker 2>not there to solve your problems, but they'll help you

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<v Speaker 2>see them more clearly. Number Three, you build resilience. Venting

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<v Speaker 2>isn't weakness, its release. It clears space in your mind

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<v Speaker 2>so you can come back stronger bottled up leaders Eventually,

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<v Speaker 2>explode or implode, and the last one you grow faster.

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<v Speaker 2>Think about it. If you're the only one reviewing your

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<v Speaker 2>leadership decisions, how do you grow? You need someone who

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<v Speaker 2>can say I've been there or have you tried this? Now?

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<v Speaker 2>Here's a key role. Your leadership buddy needs to be

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<v Speaker 2>someone who has walked the path or is walking it

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<v Speaker 2>right now. They understand the stakes, and they won't always

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<v Speaker 2>tell you what you want to hear, but they'll always

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<v Speaker 2>tell you what you need to hear. Don't mistake this

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<v Speaker 2>for gossip. This isn't about talking badly about your team

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<v Speaker 2>or throwing people under the bus. It's about helping you

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<v Speaker 2>be better so that you can lead better. If you

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<v Speaker 2>don't have a leadership buddy, here's three steps to fix

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<v Speaker 2>that this week. Identify someone you respect, Think about someone

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<v Speaker 2>inside or outside your organization who leads like you or

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<v Speaker 2>how you want to lead, someone you'd trust to handle

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<v Speaker 2>the keys to your car and your career, and then

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<v Speaker 2>reach out. Start with something simple. I've been thinking about

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<v Speaker 2>having a regular check in with another leader for mutual support,

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<v Speaker 2>or you game and you'll be surprised how fast that

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<v Speaker 2>idea catches fire. Most leaders are craving this too, and

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<v Speaker 2>then make it a rhythm. You don't need to set

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<v Speaker 2>weekly calendar invites or over engineer this. Just keep the

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<v Speaker 2>door open. Know you've got someone on speed dial when

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<v Speaker 2>the pressure builds, and offer the same in return and listen.

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<v Speaker 2>If you're the top person in your organization, it's even

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<v Speaker 2>more critical. The higher you rise, the lonelier it can get.

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<v Speaker 2>The more people think you have all the answers, and

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<v Speaker 2>the fewer people you feel comfortable opening up to, that's dangerous.

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<v Speaker 2>You need someone who will say I've got your back

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<v Speaker 2>even when no one else does. So today's leadership challenge

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<v Speaker 2>is find your leadership buddy, someone who sees you, hears you,

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<v Speaker 2>challenges you, and supports you. Someone you can say I

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<v Speaker 2>need to vent or can I run something by you,

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<v Speaker 2>and someone who knows you'll do the same for them.

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<v Speaker 2>Because when leaders link arms, amazing things happen. You don't

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<v Speaker 2>have to carry the burden alone. You don't have to

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<v Speaker 2>lead in silence, you don't have to be a lone wolf.

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<v Speaker 2>You can lead with backup and that changes everything. This

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<v Speaker 2>has been the seven minute leadership podcast, and I thank

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<v Speaker 2>you for listening.

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<v Speaker 1>For more. Paul fell of Alito Podcasts visit Paulfellowalito dot com,