The Burden of Leadership

What’s up, guys?

I was being interviewed today for an article for a business magazine, and they were asking me about the move from insurance to the fitness industry, and what it was like to be a CEO, and in particular one of the questions focused around the stress of being the head of an organization, and in particular, a fitness organization.

And though I don’t think there’s anything particular about the fitness industry that makes being a leader of such an organization more difficult, my answer to that was as a leader, it is your burden that you take on more stress than the people who work for you.

It is your obligation.

It is the choice you made to step out front and be a leader of an organization that you bear a heavier burden, more stress that you have to deal with, more anxiety than anyone else in your organization.

You never pass that down.

You are the shield.

They should never feel the stress that you feel.

You shield them, you protect them so that they can do their job.

That’s what it means to be a leader.

That’s a big part of the job.

You defend your people’s ability to do their job as much as you possibly can, and keeping stress out of their day to day is a big part of that.

So that’s how I answered the question.

Do you agree?

If you don’t, I think you’re kind of missing what it means to be a leader.

Yours in strength,

Hanley

P.S. If you like The Newsletter and want to support it, please share on social or forward to a friend using the buttons below…