Hi Reader, Do you feel the pressure?

There's a lot on leaders' shoulders:

• Balancing the needs of multiple stakeholders (board members, direct reports, clients, community members)
• Making impossible decisions (cutting programs and staff positions when funds dry up)
• Figuring out who needs to know what and when

That's just the tip of the iceberg.

But what I most often see weigh my clients down, more so than any specific challenge is the loneliness and isolation of feeling like they have to figure it all out on their own.

As much as family and friends may support, they just don't understand the nature of the work or how the weight of responsibility grips their bones and sits inside their chest and shoulders.

When you feel that tightness in your body or the dullness from pure exhaustion, I want you to remember that you are NOT alone.

The truth is, we are all swimming in an epidemic of loneliness.

According to a report released by the Surgeon General, there is an epidemic of loneliness in the United States. Pre-pandemic research showed that lacking social connection can increase the risk for premature death to levels comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. ​ The physical and mental health consequences of isolation are real and profound.

When a leader feels isolated and lacks a safe place to talk through challenges and simply be seen and heard, their effectiveness as a leader suffers.

I don't want this for you, and I know that meaningful support protects you from burnout and unlocks your potential.

Reflection Questions: Who is in your community of support? Are you normalizing the feeling of loneliness or are you actively seeking to address it?

There are so many cool humans that read this newsletter weekly. I want to create a space for you to meet, support, and encourage each other. I'm working on the details, but I have some very exciting ideas in the works...

A community of change agents who desire to prioritize their wellbeing so that they can be the CALM, EMPOWERED, and EFFECTIVE leader they know is possible. WATCH YOUR INBOX FOR MORE DETAILS