Lonely at the Top

Dear Joshi,

I started my own business eight years ago, and have been successful in growing it year over year at a compounded rate of 22%. My business is profitable and I have nurtured a capable team that is able to execute my strategy and control the operations. We moved into a new office with separate enclosures for senior managers, and a corner office where I sit and can see my entire office. I am surrounded by my people but I feel lonely.

I have come this far using my gut feel, sheer hard work and a determination to succeed. I have made mistakes but recovered quickly and vowed never to repeat them again. My plans have gone awry but I have corrected them in time to keep growing. I have a German car, a 3-bedroom villa, and my children are studying in elite schools, but I feel lonely when I step into my office.

I am lonely because I cannot share my aspirations with my people who seem to be narrowly focused on making two-end meets. They lack the wisdom and experience that can spot my mistakes and offer corrections.

I am lonely because my energy and drive are not multiplied when I sit with them and discuss strategy and tactics. I find them fatigued and waiting to get the meeting over with.

I am lonely because I cannot benchmark my achievements with them as they are not comparable, and I do not get a sense of achievement or the journey left to be completed. I am hungry for growth, and I need to be with like-minded business owners.

I am lonely because I don’t know who can help me upgrade my social skills and make new contacts. My team’s contacts are at their level and I need to know people at mine. I believe that if I mix with people of high-calibre, I will also rise to their level.

I am at the top, but I am lonely. When we were growing I was able to interact with my team and align their ambitions to my company, but as I have personally developed at a rate faster, and my business has grown exponentially, I am at many leagues ahead of my team’s competence, culture, and capacity. I am lonely at the top.

Can you help?

Sincerely,

Lonely at the Top Entrepreneur

Dear Lonely at the Top Entrepreneur,

I have a story similar to yours and I felt very lonely at the top, till I found ways and means to find company at the top. And I suggest that you try these out and see if it works for you.

1. Find a set of entrepreneurs with organization of similar size
2. Invite them for a get-to-gather and decide a topic of mutual interest for discussion
3. Build comfort and avoid conflicts within the group
4. Meet regularly, say once a month with different agenda such as discussing a Book, Inviting a Guest Speaker, Solving problems of a member in the Group.
5. Meet your newly found friends at their workplace to build rapport and relations.
6. Keep refreshing the members to ensure a sufficient quorum.

I did this for a few years, and realized that there may be many more who may not be able to start and sustain a group. It takes a lot of energy and coordination to facilitate such a group, and when I learned about CorporateConnections™, I found the perfect opportunity to help entrepreneurs Lonely at the Top.

CorporateConnections™ is a global forum with local chapters where a selected few meet regularly, twice a month, to discuss strategic opportunities, solve problems through Mastermind, develop personally through continual learning, and build global connections.

Visit my Corporate Connections™ page to know if CorporateConnections™ can help you to be “No longer Lonely at the Top.”

Regards

Chirantan Joshi