The saying goes “It is lonely at the top” and I hear this especially from within the recruitment industry. Our industry is truly amazing as entrepreneurs and high performers thrive with accelerated career progression from junior consultant to business leaders or from your bedroom to world domination in a matter of months and years.The saying goes “It is lonely at the top” and I hear this especially from within the recruitment industry. Our industry is truly amazing as entrepreneurs and high performers thrive with accelerated career progression from junior consultant to business leaders or from your bedroom to world domination in a matter of months and years.From my experience of leading and managing recruitment businesses from MNC’s to start-ups, the feeling of being a lone ranger is always there. Sometimes this can feel good and manifests itself as a point of difference from competitors. However, I speak and consult with business leaders every day and this is what I hear on a regular basis:
– We need to grow but I don’t know where to start
– How do we increase productivity and belief of what is possible?
– We don’t need to train consultants, they should know what to do
– Why isn’t everyone on the phone, it’s so quiet
– I don’t need to develop my skills as a leader, I want to focus on my team
– I was on a call last night with international clients and they don’t get the market
– Have you got any information on the market to share with my head office?
Do any of these sound familiar? We all have these issues and concerns.
As a leader, you are supposed to have the answer and a strategy for all of these but all too often it is not in our character or our ego gets in the way to ask for help or advice.
The answer to the above problem is that you need an outlet, a number of relationships or a community that can act as a sounding board, mentor, inspiration or confidence boost.
I always looked outside of my business and built great relationships with like-minded individuals. If you look to any high-performing leaders such as Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, they all have this network and community.
High performance leadership ideas
– Identify four peers who share the same values and passions and connect
– Build relationships with individuals that have strengths in areas you want to build on and get their advice and insights
– Identify two clients or candidates who you have a good relationship with that can become a sounding board or mentor
– Build a trusted group internally in your own business
– Lock time in your diary to connect and meet other business leaders & make it a KPI
– Invest in yourself – lock time away from your desk to invest in yourself reading, training & developing you and your skills
– Join a peer to peer community programme that can support you and your business aspirations and goals
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