Page 52 - Fearless Leadership

The Blind Spots That Derail Leaders 39

Symptoms of Going It Alone
• Rejecting offers of support and not asking for help
• Not talking about stress, pressure, or anxiety
• Isolating and withdrawing from others (not being accessible)
• Not including others in decision making
• Deflecting others’ concerns by making vague statements such as
“I have a lot on my mind”

Suraj, lead counsel for a global organization, was frustrated and discour-
aged and was under stress from business and personal concerns. His
method of coping was to withdraw and isolate himself from his team and
peers. His direct reports complained, “He forgets that he is only one per-
son, and he charges ahead without including us. We try to help, but it’s
as if he’s wearing a ‘do not enter’ sign.” Suraj’s withdrawal and isolation
spanned a period of approximately eight months. At the height of Suraj’s
disengagement, he took a holiday, in spite of the fact that significant legal
issues were percolating in his area.
A major case involving the company’s liability hit a crisis point while
Suraj was away. A decision needed to be made, but Suraj had critical
information that he had not shared with anyone. Panic took over and
leaders frantically attempted to reach him, but he was inaccessible. The
CEO and several executives became involved, and it took an army of the
company’s top talent to avert disaster. By the time Suraj returned calls,
the situation was under control, but his future was not. Suraj was com-
pletely disconnected from how his withdrawal and isolation had impacted
others. Even upon his return, he was unaware of how his behavior
had set off a four-bell alarm. The Board became involved and took a
hard stand: they were unwilling to have an executive who was “missing
in action.”

The Impact of Going It Alone. When you go it alone, you create a
high level of stress and frustration in others. While you are internally
focused on what you need to do, others experience a high state of anx-
iety. From their perspective, you are “missing in action,” and they take