Managers must accept that a certain degree of loneliness is a basic condition of the job, which they must learn to deal with in order to thrive in the role. Associate Professor and Professional Director Claus Elmholdt says
Nine out of ten managers feel lonely. This is according to a Swedish survey of almost 1,000 Swedish managers.
However, a recent international study suggests that there is no systematic evidence to conclude that managers are generally lonelier than their employees. This may be because managers generally have a lower need for social connection than employees.
Regardless of possible differences in attachment needs, there are a number of differences that set management jobs apart from other types of jobs. The conditions of a managerial job make it harder to create high-quality relationships with others. A type of relationship that all people need to some degree in their working life.
"Everyone needs close, high-quality relationships with other people. Relationships where you can be free and spontaneous and be respected and accepted for who you are, and that can be difficult to establish in the manager-employee relationship where power is also at stake."
This is according to the professional director of LEAD and associate professor of management and organizational psychology at Aalborg University, Claus Elmholdt.
The article is written by Journalist Pernilla Abildtrup and the full article can be read on Vigeur's website .
A network for strategic leaders
A network at LEAD Society is your confidential sparring room. Here you can share your issues and get input from other leaders who have been in similar situations. We are all passionate about leadership and use this arena as an opportunity to reflect, discuss and spar with each other.
Each group consists of 25 participants representing different organizations. We put together a group of passionate leaders at the same management level who are keen to discuss and develop their own leadership practice.
