A personal reflection on leadership, perspective and finding your people
TLDR
Leadership can feel lonely, especially in uncertain times. Trusted relationships in business and having the right people around you do not just offer advice, they provide perspective, challenge and reassurance when it matters most.
Valentine’s Day is usually framed around romantic love. But as I’ve got older (and deeper into business), I’ve realised there’s another kind of relationship that matters just as much: finding your people. Those people you trust when decisions matter.
Why stepping away matters
Each year, I usually go on a ski trip with a group of about thirty other entrepreneurs. It’s less about the skiing and more about the perspective it brings; time away from the detail, space to think clearly, and conversations with other professionals and business owners that happen naturally, without agenda.
An accident last year meant that this year’s trip didn’t happen and unlike Olympian Lyndsey Vonn, I didn’t feel that the show could go on. The accident meant I spent much of last year at home, recovering.
I stayed connected through Zoom calls and phone conversations, which are valuable and necessary, but they’re not the same. It’s not a substitute for being in the room with people. This last year reinforced something important. Building and maintaining a strong business doesn’t come from isolation.
What a year of recovery taught me about leadership
I’ve been a Chartered Accountant for over twenty years. Over that time, I’ve worked through multiple economic cycles, government reforms, policy shifts and regulatory changes.
We are always learning and enhancing through continuous professional development but experience is shaped just as much by navigating real-world complexity, and the complexities are only increasing.
Businesses today are operating against a backdrop of:
- Frequent tax and employment reforms
- Shifting government policy
- Economic uncertainty and inflationary pressure
- Evolving expectations from employees and customers
Why trusted relationships drive better decisions
In that environment, no single person has all the answers and no good advice is formed in a vacuum. It comes from a merry band of peers; trusted individuals.
In my band there are fellow accountants, specialist lawyers, insolvency practitioners, HR advisers and business coaches as well as other entrepreneurs from all industries. They help test thinking, challenge my assumptions and offer alternative solutions. Usually things I haven’t even thought of and these are people who understand the responsibility, pressure and decision-making business owners are under.
Sometimes we share perspective or reassurance. And sometimes we are all just a reminder that what we are experiencing is normal.
And sometimes, if we’re honest, what we really want is someone to say:
Keep going
or pause
or rest
or change direction
or check back in with joy, alignment and flow
Not because we don’t know what we’re doing but because leadership can be lonely without the right support around you.
Finding your people in business and in life
So Valentine’s Day is a good moment to reflect on this.
Not just who you care about, but who you trust to be your authentic self.
So here’s the question I’ll leave you with:
Who’s in your band?
Because in business, as in life, finding the right people makes all the difference.
About the author
Deborah Edwards
With over 20 years experience, Deborah is a Chartered Accountant and Harland Director. She is also a successful entrepreneur, finance director and our business transformation expert.
Who's in your band?
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