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Costs of Leadership

April 18, 2002

"Understanding the costs of leadership is important to understanding more about the context in which you currently lead or will lead in the future.

* Visibility
This is the 'fishbowl' phenomenon.  All eyes are on you.
* Public Duties
There are speeches to give and introductions to make.  The more one rises in an organization, the more one takes on public relations responsibilities. 
* Separation
The leader is not 'one of the gang' anymore.  The former peer group disappears, replaced by new peers with new toys.  It's not that leaders must be isolated socially but rather that long-lasting, genuinely comfortable relationships often are lost and aren't easy to replace.  There can be a feeling of 'aloneness' in leadership positions.
* Caretaking and Emotional Strain
Leaders need to take care of others.  They play parent-referee-clergy roles that require time and energy.  These roles are often not sought by leaders but imposed by their employees.  There are lots of needy folks out there, and some days they all show up in your office.
* Stamina
Leadership requires energy, not only for oneself but also to impart to others.  There are long hours, long meetings, and loss of time for family and recreation.  Many people think leadership brings glamour and excitement, but exhaustion may be a better word.
* Job Insecurity
In certain environments, leadership roles are not secure.  Merit is defined and rewarded more selectively for leadership than for professional roles.
* Less Freedom of Expression
The higher you climb in an organization, the greater the trade-offs and compromises.  Anxieties come from the need to tightly control your feelings, your words.
* Infrequent Relief and Strains on Family
You must keep an eye on the bigger picture while also narrowing priorities.  There are few breaks. 
* Less Supportive Feedback
The higher one moves in an organization, the less useful feedback one receives. 

Choices in careers, choices in leadership, and choices in life bring trade-offs.  There are both costs and benefits.  We list the costs here because we think they are useful in understanding the realities of leadership (Lee & King, 2001, pp. 26-29)."

Reference:  Lee, R. J., & King, S.N., (2001).  Discovering the leader in you: a guide to realizing your personal leadership potential.  San Francisco:  Jossey-Bass.

As a leader, what price are you paying?

Discovering the Leader in You is available on loan from the Ohio State University Leadership Center.  A complete listing of all the Leadership Center's resources is available on our website http://leadershipcenter.osu.edu/

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Created: 2008-12-13, Updated: 2009-01-07