August 2, 2025 • 5 mins
This episode explores why every leader needs a trusted leadership buddy to stay grounded, make better decisions, and avoid burnout. Learn how to find and build that essential connection.
Host: Paul Falavolito
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Host: Paul Falavolito
Connect with me on your favorite platform: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Substack, BlueSky, Threads, Discord
Free Leadership Resources: www.paulfalavolito.com
Books by Paul Falavolito
- The 7 Minute Leadership Handbook: bit.ly/48J8zFG
- The Leadership Academy: https://bit.ly/4lnT1Pf
- The 7 Minute Leadership Survival Guide: https://bit.ly/4ij0g8y
Official 7 Minute Leadership Merch
Grab exclusive gear and more: linktr.ee/paulfalavolito
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Helping leaders motivate their people to a higher level of
performance through strong human relations, team building, and golajieving. This
is the seven Minute Leadership Podcast with your host Paul Fellowledo.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hello everyone, and welcome to the seven Minute Leadership Podcast.
It's episode four nineteen. For this episode, we're talking about
a simple idea that can completely change your leadership journey,
and that's making sure that you have a leadership buddy
at work, someone you can call vent to bounce ideas
(00:43):
off of and get honest feedback from. So let me
tell you something up front. Leadership is not a solo sport,
and yet way too many leaders live in isolation. They
walk the halls with their heads down, put on a
brave face in meetings, and carry the weight of the
organization alone. That's not strength, that's burnout waiting to happen.
(01:08):
And here's the truth. Every leader needs a buddy, not
just a peer, not just a colleague, but a true ally,
someone who gets it, someone who knows the weight of responsibility.
Someone who won't judge you for saying today sucked or
I'm not sure how to handle this one. Let me
(01:30):
give you a real example. I've had one of these
leadership buddies for years. We don't work at the same company,
but we're both in similar roles. Every few days, one
of us will call the other and say, hey, got
a minute, and then it happens a five or ten
minute download that includes frustration, decision making, pressure, or the
(01:52):
tough parts of leading people. Sometimes we just need to
hear you're not crazy. I'd have done the same thing.
Other times we need a push. You're better than that,
and you know it. That one relationship has helped me
reset my leadership compass more times than I can count.
Here's why this matters. Number One, you need a safe space.
(02:17):
Leadership buddies offer that rare zone where you can talk
without filters, no politics, no performance reviews, no HR worries,
just the truth. Number two, you get perspective. They're not
buried in your day to day chaos, so they can
see things you don't. They can ask better questions. They're
(02:38):
not there to solve your problems, but they'll help you
see them more clearly. Number Three, you build resilience. Venting
isn't weakness, its release. It clears space in your mind
so you can come back stronger bottled up leaders Eventually,
explode or implode, and the last one you grow faster.
(03:00):
Think about it. If you're the only one reviewing your
leadership decisions, how do you grow? You need someone who
can say I've been there or have you tried this? Now?
Here's a key role. Your leadership buddy needs to be
someone who has walked the path or is walking it
(03:21):
right now. They understand the stakes, and they won't always
tell you what you want to hear, but they'll always
tell you what you need to hear. Don't mistake this
for gossip. This isn't about talking badly about your team
or throwing people under the bus. It's about helping you
be better so that you can lead better. If you
don't have a leadership buddy, here's three steps to fix
(03:44):
that this week. Identify someone you respect, Think about someone
inside or outside your organization who leads like you or
how you want to lead, someone you'd trust to handle
the keys to your car and your career, and then
reach out. Start with something simple. I've been thinking about
(04:04):
having a regular check in with another leader for mutual support,
or you game and you'll be surprised how fast that
idea catches fire. Most leaders are craving this too, and
then make it a rhythm. You don't need to set
weekly calendar invites or over engineer this. Just keep the
door open. Know you've got someone on speed dial when
(04:27):
the pressure builds, and offer the same in return and listen.
If you're the top person in your organization, it's even
more critical. The higher you rise, the lonelier it can get.
The more people think you have all the answers, and
the fewer people you feel comfortable opening up to, that's dangerous.
(04:48):
You need someone who will say I've got your back
even when no one else does. So today's leadership challenge
is find your leadership buddy, someone who sees you, hears you,
challenges you, and supports you. Someone you can say I
(05:11):
need to vent or can I run something by you,
and someone who knows you'll do the same for them.
Because when leaders link arms, amazing things happen. You don't
have to carry the burden alone. You don't have to
lead in silence, you don't have to be a lone wolf.
You can lead with backup and that changes everything. This
(05:32):
has been the seven minute leadership podcast, and I thank
you for listening.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
For more. Paul fell of Alito Podcasts visit Paulfellowalito dot com,
Helping leaders motivate their people to a higher level of
performance through strong human relations, team building, and golajieving. This
is the seven Minute Leadership Podcast with your host Paul Fellowledo.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hello everyone, and welcome to the seven Minute Leadership Podcast.
It's episode four nineteen. For this episode, we're talking about
a simple idea that can completely change your leadership journey,
and that's making sure that you have a leadership buddy
at work, someone you can call vent to bounce ideas
(00:43):
off of and get honest feedback from. So let me
tell you something up front. Leadership is not a solo sport,
and yet way too many leaders live in isolation. They
walk the halls with their heads down, put on a
brave face in meetings, and carry the weight of the
organization alone. That's not strength, that's burnout waiting to happen.
(01:08):
And here's the truth. Every leader needs a buddy, not
just a peer, not just a colleague, but a true ally,
someone who gets it, someone who knows the weight of responsibility.
Someone who won't judge you for saying today sucked or
I'm not sure how to handle this one. Let me
(01:30):
give you a real example. I've had one of these
leadership buddies for years. We don't work at the same company,
but we're both in similar roles. Every few days, one
of us will call the other and say, hey, got
a minute, and then it happens a five or ten
minute download that includes frustration, decision making, pressure, or the
(01:52):
tough parts of leading people. Sometimes we just need to
hear you're not crazy. I'd have done the same thing.
Other times we need a push. You're better than that,
and you know it. That one relationship has helped me
reset my leadership compass more times than I can count.
Here's why this matters. Number One, you need a safe space.
(02:17):
Leadership buddies offer that rare zone where you can talk
without filters, no politics, no performance reviews, no HR worries,
just the truth. Number two, you get perspective. They're not
buried in your day to day chaos, so they can
see things you don't. They can ask better questions. They're
(02:38):
not there to solve your problems, but they'll help you
see them more clearly. Number Three, you build resilience. Venting
isn't weakness, its release. It clears space in your mind
so you can come back stronger bottled up leaders Eventually,
explode or implode, and the last one you grow faster.
(03:00):
Think about it. If you're the only one reviewing your
leadership decisions, how do you grow? You need someone who
can say I've been there or have you tried this? Now?
Here's a key role. Your leadership buddy needs to be
someone who has walked the path or is walking it
(03:21):
right now. They understand the stakes, and they won't always
tell you what you want to hear, but they'll always
tell you what you need to hear. Don't mistake this
for gossip. This isn't about talking badly about your team
or throwing people under the bus. It's about helping you
be better so that you can lead better. If you
don't have a leadership buddy, here's three steps to fix
(03:44):
that this week. Identify someone you respect, Think about someone
inside or outside your organization who leads like you or
how you want to lead, someone you'd trust to handle
the keys to your car and your career, and then
reach out. Start with something simple. I've been thinking about
(04:04):
having a regular check in with another leader for mutual support,
or you game and you'll be surprised how fast that
idea catches fire. Most leaders are craving this too, and
then make it a rhythm. You don't need to set
weekly calendar invites or over engineer this. Just keep the
door open. Know you've got someone on speed dial when
(04:27):
the pressure builds, and offer the same in return and listen.
If you're the top person in your organization, it's even
more critical. The higher you rise, the lonelier it can get.
The more people think you have all the answers, and
the fewer people you feel comfortable opening up to, that's dangerous.
(04:48):
You need someone who will say I've got your back
even when no one else does. So today's leadership challenge
is find your leadership buddy, someone who sees you, hears you,
challenges you, and supports you. Someone you can say I
(05:11):
need to vent or can I run something by you,
and someone who knows you'll do the same for them.
Because when leaders link arms, amazing things happen. You don't
have to carry the burden alone. You don't have to
lead in silence, you don't have to be a lone wolf.
You can lead with backup and that changes everything. This
(05:32):
has been the seven minute leadership podcast, and I thank
you for listening.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
For more. Paul fell of Alito Podcasts visit Paulfellowalito dot com,
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