Leading is lonely.

Leading is lonely.

When you are on a team, you have friends, peers, and colleagues with whom you stand shoulder to shoulder.

When you lead, there is no one at your shoulder.

When you are on a team, it’s easier to share struggles, and frustrations, and ask for help. Your shoulder-mates welcome it.

When you lead, you are prone to swallow your struggles and frustrations. Should you feel safe enough to ask for help, the path for finding it is opaque.

When you are on a team, the dreams, vision, and strategy are laid out for you to embrace and execute.

When you lead, you carry the burden of staring into the future to envision something new. And crafting a compelling narrative that others will follow.

Whether you lead a data team of 4 or are a leader of data leaders, the challenge of loneliness is the same.

Today might feel great.

Tomorrow might not.

I’ll be here in your inbox on both of those days.

Hit reply anytime,

Sawyer

from ​The Data Shop​

Sawyer

p.s. In leadership and looking for a space to collaborate and commiserate with industry peers? Join our intensive 6-week course on data leadership. ​Details here​.