Riding the Waves

Leaders don't need a lifebuoy; they just need space to find their surfboard and ride the wave

Leadership can often feel like you are being carried along with the tide and you see the waves coming towards you. There’s a massive to-do list, the resources in your team or organisation just don’t match up to what’s required and there’s no time or room to be creative or innovative? You're the one everyone looks to – your team, your organisation. You have a constant pull to support and guide, but you have no-one else to bounce your vision and ideas off of? That's the weight of leadership that can sometimes feel heavy. A great first step is to acknowledge it's there.

The Weight of Leadership

Look, this leadership weight? It's substantial. You're often navigating waters others don't even see, which can leave you feeling pretty isolated. There's a pressure to always be strong and have it all together, making it tough to show any vulnerability or ask for help, even when you really need it. The fact is we all need it. And then you've got the constant changes, the competition, the pressure to always be innovating and adapting – it can pile on more weight. It gets even tougher when you feel like you're losing control, when work bleeds into every part of your life, and that feeling of being alone at the top creeps in.

Now, when that weight gets too much, it starts to mess with things – your well-being and your impact as a leader. Think feeling totally drained, like you're just going through the motions. Your focus can go out the window, making those big decisions feel impossible. Honestly, leadership burnout is a big deal and it’s common - affecting loads of people from managers right up to the C-suite.

We're talking brain fog from being overwhelmed, a drop in motivation and productivity because of stress, cloudy thinking that makes decisions tough – like staring at a spreadsheet and not being able to make sense of the numbers, and feeling less confident as you question yourself under all that pressure. I remember 5 years ago where the weight of leadership was so strong and I had to very quickly adapt to the changes that me and my team had to face daily, I had to spend half an hour each day for my head to stop spinning!

And it’s common

But here's the key thing I want you to take away: feeling this weight is normal. It comes with the territory of being a leader. And needing support when it feels too heavy - that's not weakness; it's actually a sign of strength. You're not meant to be on this leadership journey completely by yourself, even though it can often feel that way. You don't need someone to throw you a lifebuoy when you're struggling; you're capable. What you might need is a dedicated space to step back, find your footing, and rediscover your own surfboard to ride those waves effectively. w

Be:muse Coaching offers a 6-week package to get you into your Leadership Rhythm again, to rediscover your own Leadership Rhythm - to tap into your own resources as well as find the areas to develop and discover in those around you.

Curious about regaining your Leadership Rhythm or stepping up your Leadership? Download our guide to Break the Cycle of Leadership Burnout.

Ready to create that dedicated space for yourself to accelerate your leadership journey? Let's chat about how coaching can help