The Connected Leadership Podcast, 'Executive Loneliness: Another Perspective

Andy Lopata's guest on this week's Connected Leadership Podcast is Ray McGrath a senior technology executive and coach for senior leaders. The discussion is about executive loneliness, an unwanted lack of connectedness and how big an issue this is in business. There exists a sense of isolation as a leader and there is a need to have critical friends, where a leader can be completely authentic and able to talk about the challenges and issues that arise. Ray uses stories to illustrate his experiences in this field and the different leaders he meets; the irrelevant, the incompetent and the liar. Leaders often hide their vulnerability and loneliness under a mask of optimism. They need to be an actor and to wear that mask when appropriate and remove it when necessary.