Nobody tells you about the isolation that comes with building something from nothing.
Leadership
Entrepreneurship
Mental Health
Honesty
Written by
Mark Andrew Palmer
Creative Director & Brand Architect
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Table of Contents
There's a version of this essay that's inspirational. That talks about the rewards of leadership, the thrill of building, the satisfaction of seeing your vision come to life. That version is true. But it's incomplete.
This is the other version. The one about the 3 AM ceiling stares. The decisions that keep you up not because they're hard, but because they're lonely.
The Weight Nobody Sees
The Loneliness of Creative Leadership
When you're the founder, the creative director, the person whose name is on the door, there are decisions that only you can make. And the weight of those decisions doesn't distribute evenly across your team. It concentrates. On you.
“If you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room. Or you built the room wrong.”
What Helps
A peer group of founders who understand (not mentors, peers)
Physical practice: art, exercise, something that gets you out of your head
Radical honesty with at least one person about how you're actually doing
Boundaries that you actually enforce (not just set)
The occasional bourbon on the porch with no agenda
Leadership isn't lonely because nobody cares. It's lonely because the people who care most can't carry what you carry. And that's okay. Just don't pretend it doesn't weigh anything.
Topics
Leadership
Entrepreneurship
Mental Health
Honesty
Share
About the Author
Mark Andrew Palmer
Mark Palmer is a creative director, brand architect, and digital advertising expert based in Louisville, Kentucky, with offices in Cincinnati and Nashville, serving clients worldwide. He is the founder of Omythic, Agency AEO, Makespace, Web Wishery, A Life Well Lit, and several other active ventures. He has been making brands, companies, and waves since 2006. This is his digital home base.