Blue Elevator Blog

Lonely At The Top

I have been blessed with a long and storied career in business.  I have found business to be very challenging.  And, thank God, I have also found it to be very rewarding.

But, I have also found it to be very lonely at the top.  Here’s why: When you are the leader of the organization, sometimes it’s hard to find the right person to talk to.

Is This You?

Let’s say you are a Controller or CFO.  An Executive Director.  Or maybe you are the General Manager or CEO.  Or, maybe you hold another C-level position in your organization.

You might report to the owner or perhaps a Board of Directors.  Here’s the deal: They are paying you to lead the organization.

What do you do when you are experiencing challenges?  What if something isn’t working quite right?

• Do you ask the owner or Board of Directors for answers?  You could.  But they are paying you to solve problems for them.
• Do you ask your management team for answers?  You might.  Seeking input from those around you is key.  It is important to survey the troops.  In fact, I might even tell you, if you have a diverse and talented team in your organization, there are probably some key people that could tell you exactly what the problem is … AND how to fix it.
• On the other hand, be careful who you ask.  There are those that will resist change (most people resist change).  Some will prefer the status quo.  They might tell you what suits their needs, rather than be forced to blaze a new trail.  And/or worse … they might even tell you want you want to hear.

Or Maybe …

Or maybe, you are the Founder, the CEO, and the Board of Directors – all in one.

Where do you go for help?  Do you know what the problem is?  Do you know why it exists?  And, which is the best of a million ways to fix it?

What I Found

When I look back on my time and tenure in C-level leadership, I found it lonely at the top – and I still find it lonely at the top.  I was being paid to lead the organization.  I wanted to please.  I wanted the best for the organization.  And, I was happy to lead.

But it’s just that: In life and in business, things don’t always go as planned.

I also knew I needed to get help “outside” of my immediate environment.  Why?  Sometimes it’s hard to see the forest when you are one of the trees.

I could access people where I came from earlier in my career (e.g., what is now PricewaterhouseCoopers or PwC).  Or, I could engage another Big Four consulting firm.  But, they might literally charge $1,000 or more per hour.  In some cases, up to $2,000 per hour.  So, now what?

What I Did

In a lot of cases, when I was serving in C-level positions, I would try to “self-solve” problems.   To Do It Yourself (DIY), as they say.

Here’s what I did.  Once I thought I had figured out the issue, I would reach out to vendors I thought could help.

• If I thought I had a marketing issue, I would reach out to a marketing company.
• I was relieved.  It was good to know they also thought I had a marketing issue.
• And so, I would ask the marketing company for a solution.
• I was relieved.  It was good to hear that the marketing company also had a marketing solution for me.

Now, my days as an auditor taught me a valuable lesson: It’s important to get corroborating input or validation.  Meaning, I knew I shouldn’t take just one person’s word for it.

My Next Step

So, this was my next step.  I would reach out to another marketing company.  Let’s call it Company B.

• I was relieved.  I was glad to learn that Company B also thought I had a marketing issue.  Ok, I thought.  I’m getting somewhere.  So far, so good.
• Interestingly, Company B’s marketing solution was different that Company A’s.
• I DIDN’T feel relieved.  From my auditor days, I knew I needed to corroborate the advice I was given.  Which means, I needed to continue to search until everything lined up.

So, on to my next step.  I would reach out to another marketing company. Let’s call it Company C.

• I was relieved.  I was glad to learn that Company C also thought I had a marketing issue.
• Not surprisingly, Company C’s marketing solution was different than both Company A’s and Company B’s.

I underline marketing for a reason.  This is where you can substitute whatever issue you think you might have: Marketing, advertising, business development, lead generation, etc.  Because, that’s what I did.  I opinion-shopped vendors in whatever functional area I thought needed work.

How It Went

I would eventually have to make a decision.  Sometimes I got it right.  But, a lot of times I got it wrong.

• I might be fixing the “right” problem with the “right” solution.
• I might be fixing the “right” problem with the “wrong” solution.
• Or, I might just be fixing the “wrong” problem.  It occurred to me.  What if the “symptom” I was addressing wasn’t the underlying malady?  In other words, what if my marketing issue wasn’t a marketing issue after all?

I was wasting time; I was wasting money.  All the while, I was still in pain and not 100% sure I was solving the true problem.

What I needed was Blue Elevator™.  But, Blue Elevator™ didn’t exist for me.  I needed someone or something that could help me uncover and solve the right problem.  And, not sell me a canned or boiler plate “one-size-fits-all” solution.

That’s WHY Blue Elevator™ Exists!

At Blue Elevator™ we have a saying.  “Just because it’s lonely at the top, doesn’t mean you have to go it alone.”

We don’t sell you OUR solutions.  We don’t sell anything.  We are committed to one thing – and one thing only.  And that is your success.

Blue Elevator™ provides custom, collaborative, and “actionable” advisory.  We aren’t tied to any type of specific solution other than helping walk with you.  And, God willing, helping you get your “business to the next level™.”

Contact us if you are lonely at the top.  You don’t have to go it alone.