Why Leaders Need Someone They Can Talk To

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Every leader needs a confidant – someone you can turn to when things get complicated and say, "I think I may have made a serious miscalculation here."

Leadership often looks straightforward from the outside, but there's pressure behind the scenes. People watching your every move, expectations to meet, and the challenge of making decisions that affect others.

The challenge with being in charge is that everyone expects you to have all the answers.

Here's the truth: you don't. 

Nobody does. 

Even the most successful leaders wake up some mornings feeling uncertain. The trick is having someone you can be completely honest with about your uncertainties.

Your confidant isn't your therapist (though therapy is brilliant, obviously). 

They're not your subordinate who tells you what you want to hear because they're terrified of being fired. 

They're that rare person who'll look you dead in the eye and say, "That idea is absolutely nuts, and here's why." Think of them as your personal Simon Cowell, but with better hair and less uncomfortable pauses.

Here's what happens when you bottle everything up: You start making decisions like a someone who's been locked in a shed for six months with nothing but energy drinks and daytime tv reruns. 

But find yourself a confidant – someone trustworthy who understands your world but isn't afraid to challenge you – and suddenly you've got a sanity check. Someone to tell you when you're being insightful and when you're being obtuse. Both are equally important.

The best leaders I know, all have that one person they can turn to when the pressure gets too much. Someone who's seen them at their worst and still answers their calls.

What do you think? Who's your confidant? Share your thoughts below.