When Leadership Feels Heavy: Rediscovering the Quiet Rewards of the Role

There are moments in almost every leader’s career when the weight of the role feels unusually heavy. The inbox never empties. The meetings never stop. One employee needs coaching, another is struggling personally, a third is considering an opportunity with a competitive company. And (oh yeah) senior leadership is asking for improved productivity with streamlined resources. 

To make matters even more challenging, there is change! It continues to accelerate. New technologies. Shifting organizational priorities. Oh, and your teams expect increased transparency, flexibility and empathy. Every decision seems to carry more weight and presents far more complexity than the one before it. 

It’s understandable that many leaders occasionally ask themselves a question they didn’t see coming when they moved into the role: 

• “Is all of this worth it?” 

For some, the answer might well be no! 

But many others take a deep breath in the midst of all the frustration and the chaos, get themselves re-centered and find a way to move forward. Something, somewhere and somehow, keeps them coming back for more! Something that isn’t spelled out in their job descriptions, compensation plans or on an organizational chart. 

For lack of a better term, call it the “The Joy of Leadership.” 

Leadership Is Vague 

There is a common misconception that leadership becomes easier as experience grows. In reality, experienced leaders rarely face straightforward problems. They simply become better equipped to navigate the ever-increasing complexity. 

The truth of the matter is that leadership is vague. Leaders are routinely asked to make difficult decisions with incomplete information. To balance competing priorities. To protect their teams during times of uncertainty (even if they personally have no earthly idea what to do!). To manage conflict and deliver difficult feedback even if they don’t have the benefit of direct observation. 

All of this adds up to assuming increased responsibility and absorbing pressure so that others can remain focused on their work. And, no surprise, navigating these waters is often emotionally draining. The heaviness that leaders quite often feel is not evidence that they are failing, but rather that they care deeply about the work and the people doing it. 

One of the paradoxes of leadership is that success in the role is almost exclusively a function of the success of others. Leaders add value by accelerating the development of others and redirecting performance slippage. In the process of executing on that value proposition, leaders help individual contributors work their way through any number of roadblocks, obstacles and personal challenges. And helping someone develop confidence, solve a difficult problem or advance their career can create a heightened sense of intrinsic fulfillment that few individual achievements can match. 

Relationship Becomes the Legacy 

When you ask experienced leaders what they remember most after decades in management, very few tell a tale that features financial metrics. Most reflect upon relationships they formed with people around the work that needed to be accomplished:

• The employee that wasn’t sure they had what it took to be successful when they started, who stuck with it, persevered and eventually became a vice president 

• The intern who had no idea what she wanted to do with her life, who now heads up the company’s most profitable division

• The team that couldn’t figure out a way to get anything right, that hit their stride and eventually became the standard for high performance 

• The colleague who struggled and was sincerely thinking about quitting, who wound up staying and still calls years later for advice 

Leadership is the investment that serves as both the spark, as well as the adhesive, for relationships. Those relationships can (and do) pay dividends that are (in a word) priceless!  

And making no mistake about it, becoming a dedicated leader generates a multitude of benefits for the leader. Over time, dedicated leaders become: 

• Better listeners: They learn to look past what is being said and focus upon what is really being communicated

• More patient decision-makers: They consider the impact of decisions on an expanded spectrum of stakeholders

• More emotionally aware: They develop the ability to both recognize and channel their impulses in a productive direction 

• More resilient during uncertainty: They develop the ability to distinguish ”possibilities” from “probabilities”

• More courageous: They understand that the most expedient way to develop as a leader is to “get in the game” as opposed to “standing on the sidelines”

The Organizations That Will Win 

Organizational leaders have long been measured by their ability to hit productivity targets. And (you heard it here first!) that responsibility will always be a big part of the equation. But the organizations that figure out a way to attract and retain leaders that drive employee engagement will be the big winners moving forward. 

Why is that? Because employee engagement is the primary leading indicator of productivity metrics and retention rates. Think about it: 

• If a leader can consistently get her team to exhibit discretionary effort, the probability that productivity targets will be hit skyrockets

• If a leader can consistently provide a work environment that enhances employee engagement, top talent will think long and hard about “greener pastures” (that just might not turn out to be all that green!) 

Moving forward, organizations that figure out a way to sell “the joy of leadership” to qualified candidates will outperform those that don’t. Of course, those companies need to put incentives in place to tangibly celebrate and reward those leaders, but the essence of their pitch will emphasize the intrinsics. Do you have any idea how good it feels to have a job where you can: 

• Be an undeniable catalyst in the growth and development of so many? 

• Create a team culture where everyone feels safe to contribute their best ideas? 

• Deliver targeted outcomes that few thought were possible? 

• Become an active and visible role model for future generations of leaders? 

Leadership, like life, is difficult. But the joy it brings far transcends the frustration you work your way through.