Who’s Spotting You? Why Leaders Need to Rethink Strength

Leadership is often compared to running a marathon - a solitary race, where the leader, like the runner, must set their own pace, manage their own stamina, and cross the finish line through sheer determination and willpower. It’s a romantic notion—the lone figure, steady and unyielding, pushing through mile after mile in pursuit of greatness. But this comparison couldn’t be further from the reality of what leadership truly entails.

Leadership isn’t a solo endurance test. It’s not about running alone with your head down, hoping your grit will carry you through. If anything, leadership is more like weightlifting—a discipline that demands focus, skill, and, most importantly, a team. Just as weightlifters rely on spotters, trainers, and coaches, leaders must recognize the necessity of surrounding themselves with people who challenge, guide, and support them.

Picture the weightlifter. They don’t walk up to the bar and think, I’ll handle this entirely on my own. The stakes are too high, the risk of failure too great. They know their success relies on more than just raw strength. Their spotter is there to catch them if they falter. Their coach has refined their technique, helping them lift heavier, better, safer. The weightlifter embraces this network, understanding that true strength isn’t about independence—it’s about interdependence.

So why do so many leaders approach their role as if they’re running a solitary race? Why do they believe that asking for help diminishes their credibility or strength? The truth is, the myth of the self-reliant leader is not only outdated—it’s dangerous. It isolates leaders when they most need connection and risks their ability to succeed under the increasing weight of modern challenges.

The Illusion of Solitude

When you envision the great leaders of history, it’s tempting to see them as solitary icons—standing tall, making decisions from a place of unshakable certainty. But peel back the curtain, and you’ll find their success was never solitary. Every great leader in history, from political icons to business visionaries, has relied on a team to provide clarity, perspective, and accountability. Churchill had his war cabinet. Jobs had his inner circle. Even Oprah, a symbol of individual excellence, surrounds herself with a team of advisors, mentors, and collaborators. The notion of the self-made leader is an illusion, a dangerous one, that isolates leaders when they most need connection.

When leaders embrace this marathon-runner mentality, they unintentionally cut themselves off from the resources that could elevate their performance. The idea of "going it alone" may sound noble, but it’s also a recipe for stagnation and burnout.

Just as a weightlifter can’t see their own form or catch the bar if it falls, leaders are often blind to their own blind spots. They need someone watching, someone ready to intervene, and someone pushing them to go beyond their perceived limits. Without this, the weight of decision-making, responsibility, and ambition becomes an impossible burden.

The Hidden Cost of Independence

Leadership is heavy. Every decision carries weight: the livelihoods of employees, the trajectory of a company, the fulfillment of a mission. And yet, so many leaders refuse to ask for help. Why? Because they’ve been conditioned to see vulnerability as a flaw. Because they mistake self-sufficiency for competence. Because they’ve bought into the toxic belief that asking for support undermines authority.

The cost of isolation isn’t always immediate. It builds over time, slowly eroding a leader’s ability to innovate, take risks, and grow. Without a support system, leaders retreat into what’s comfortable. They avoid the bold, transformative moves that could propel their organizations forward because there’s no one to provide the safety net if they fail. And when mistakes inevitably happen, they’re left without the trusted advisors who could help them recover and learn.

This isn’t a question of strength—it’s a question of perspective. The strongest leaders know that their strength is amplified by the people around them. They don’t see asking for help as a weakness. They see it as an opportunity to build resilience, sharpen their vision, and achieve more than they ever could alone.

Rethinking Strength

True strength isn’t about how much you can carry alone. Leadership isn’t a marathon or a solo lift. It’s a team effort. The strongest leaders recognize that success isn’t about proving how much they can carry on their own. It’s about building a support system that allows them to carry more.

Think back to the weightlifter. They don’t hesitate to bring in a spotter, knowing that having someone to catch them enables them to lift with greater confidence and precision. They don’t shy away from a coach, understanding that expert guidance will push them to achieve results they couldn’t on their own. This isn’t dependence—it’s strategy.

So why should leadership be any different? Imagine the risks you could take, the ideas you could explore, and the growth you could achieve if you knew you had a trusted team ready to back you up.