Don’t Carry the Weight Alone
How Leaders Can Overcome Isolation and Find Support
Leadership can feel isolating. Discover how peer advisory groups like Convene help executives find clarity, connection, and confidence. Join Scott Palmbush in the SF Bay Area.
The Hidden Weight of Leadership
It’s no surprise that being at the top of an organization means carrying a weight that few people understand. The heavy responsibility can be gratifying but more often than not it means making difficult decisions with incomplete information in the face of time and financial pressure. And while you have teams around you, you are the one who shoulders the burden and all that comes with it.
Many in these seats share a familiar feeling that comes along with the weight they carry - loneliness and isolation. In an often cited Harvard Business Review study, 50% of CEOs reported feelings of loneliness, and 61% believed it impacted their performance. This finding persisted across industries and locations.
The Real Cost of Isolation
Isolation and loneliness cost leaders in:
Increased depression, lack of concentration, and less energy
Stress in relationships inside and outside of work
Increased anxiety, unhealthy coping behaviors and burnout
And these emotional realities find their way into your key leadership functions and how you show up with your team. You get hesitant, feel stuck and react rather than leading from confidence and clarity. You begin to second guess yourself and wonder if you can - or even want to - keep going.
And some decide it’s not worth it. In 2024, CEO turnover spiked 48% with isolation cited as a key factor.
Why Leadership Feels So Lonely
Leadership loneliness is not a character flaw, it comes from carrying the weight alone for too long. And it can happen for lots of reasons.
Protecting Confidentiality - There are some things that you just can’t share and areas that can’t be discussed openly.
Power differences - Employees and stakeholders don’t share openly and filter their comments and interactions with you.
Lack of true peers - No safe places or people who share your responsibility and understand your world.
Cultural expectations and pride - The expectation to carry the weight alone and vulnerability perceived as a sign of weakness.
You get caught between the expectations and realities that are inherent in the role. The pressure sends you looking for ways to cope. And sometimes these short-term fixes have costly results. After getting called out by their board for a moral lapse a leader said to me, “I was just so tired”.
The Solution: Find a safe space to share the load
Great leaders don’t pretend the weight isn’t real. They build the support structures to carry it well. Addressing loneliness and isolation is crucial for avoiding leader burnout and turnover.
To stay in the game leaders need a safe space for camaraderie and connection.
A peer advisory group is one of the best ways to move forward.
Peer groups—like YPO Forums, Vistage, or Convene—create safe, curated spaces where leaders can think clearly, get honest feedback, and find clarity among others who know the stakes.
Why Convene Works
Convene groups are invite-only groups of high level leaders that understand your world and challenges. It’s not a networking opportunity - it’s about exchanging truth, experience, and perspective.
These are confidential, structured conversations built on trust. One team member said it this way, “This is the only room where I don’t have to explain what is at stake.”
Having a place where you don’t need to posture or placate is a game changer. It will improve your life, your leadership and your results. The impact speaks for itself.
85% of Convene members' companies outperform other companies in their industry.
81% of members attribute significant improvement in their leadership abilities to their Convene experience
97% of members attribute transformation in their business, life and faith to their Convene experience
Each group meets monthly for peer discussions, and each leader receives executive coaching, strategic assessments and practical support. Members are carefully selected for similar levels of leadership experience and maturity. The conversations are deep, meaningful and actionable.
I recently spent a few days with a group that served this purpose for me early in my leadership. I can confidently say the wisdom and support I gained enabled me to navigate the seemingly endless leadership challenges in front of me. I was able to carry the weight with more confidence, freedom and success.
A New Convene Group with Mirador Leaders
So when the leadership of Convene asked me (Scott) to chair a group, I jumped at the chance. When you experience something that works you want to share it. I am so excited to offer this tried-and-true method to other high level leaders.
Mirador Leaders is partnering with Convene to launch a new group in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2026. If you are a CEO, executive director, or senior leader who is tired of carrying the weight of leadership alone, schedule a call with Mirador Leaders to learn more about joining a Convene group or exploring executive coaching. Imagine feeling freer, lighter, more connected and capable. It can happen!
Mirador Leaders specializes in leadership coaching, organizational change, and project collaboration for values-driven organizations. Reach out for a conversation!
