What is the price of isolation?

As a young financial controller, reporting directly to a Board of strong-willed men,I thought I had to know everything and do everything myself.

Since I had arrived in Sydney I had worked hard at proving myself in roles which challenged me butI had been so focused on getting the work done that I had not given any thought to building professional networks. I had wonderful friends who supported me outside of work and I found the idea of going to events full of accountants learning technical skills dull as ditchwater!

As the most senior finance person in the organisation running a growing finance team as the organisation grew rapidly I had no one to whom I could turn to discuss challenges I was facing. I was scared to show any vulnerability to my bosses because then they might realiseI simply wasn’t ‘good enough’ for this role.

I felt increasingly isolated and burdened by the demands of the role, and that took a toll on my wellbeing, which meant that I was not delivering to my full potential.

It was only later when I stepped into a new role as a CFO of a funds’ manager and was invited to an event for finance leaders in this new industry that I realised what I had been missing was Connection.

The opportunity to connect with others working in similar environments, to share experiences, and to learn from each other, made an enormous difference to my capacity to grow professionally, and to influence decisions within my own organisation. I developed anew friendship, someone who really ‘got’ what I was experiencing and could be a soundingboard.

As Jim Rohn has often been quoted as saying:

“You are the average of the 5 people you surround yourself with”.

This is why Connection is the third element of my model for cultivating executive presence.

If you are seeking to cultivate your executive presence, so that you are more influential, it is essential that you seek out opportunities for greater connection and engagement with people around you.

This is not about being transactional in your interactions and seeking to ‘use’ people, rather it is about engaging at a deeper level and seeing the value you can bring to new relationships. As my fabulous mentor Janine Garner says in her book It’s Who You Know:

“It is about putting you right in the middle of a network that connects you to people and information that matters for your growth and personal success.”

Who are the people in your professional network?

Are you making time for developing those relationships?

Or are you, like so many of the leaders I work with (and as I was), so focused on getting s**t done that you are missing out on the opportunities around you?

What is the price of isolation that you are paying?

With love

Sue

P.S. If you're keen to learn more about how I work with clients on cultivating executive presence, please join me at my free masterclass on 27 April at 8:30AM. Please register here.