Women Who Feel Isolated: 7 Ways to Be a Leader Without Feeling Alone
Leadership and loneliness don’t have to go hand in hand.
By Nicole Lance
It can be lonely at the top, but you don’t have to feel alone. Women leaders in particular experience high levels of isolation as they climb the career ladder. There aren’t as many women leaders as men, so there is a natural thinning of a supportive crowd. This is complicated by pressures — perceived or real — to not show weakness, to have it all together, and to keep their problems to themselves so they retain the spot they worked so hard to get. If this sounds like you, try these seven strategies to keep you feeling surrounded by a support squad.
Remember the 3 empathies. In many leadership approaches, empathy for others is highly prioritized. This is great, but it’s incomplete. A sole or over-emphasis on empathy for others ignores the other two empathies required in successful workplaces: empathy for the organization and empathy for yourself. Balancing empathy for teammates, customers, and management with empathy not just for the organization but for yourself as well will help you maintain an important perspective on how to prioritize your actions. When you put yourself back into that equation, you’re less likely to wind up feeling alone.
