THE LEADERSHIP EDGE NEWSLETTER November 2026 | Your Guide to Exceptional Leadership
By Don Frericks · CEO Advisor & Executive Leadership Coach
“This” is leadership. Maybe you felt that once you stepped into a leadership role, you had arrived. Maybe you thought life would get easier once you became a leader.
So, here’s the question to answer before you read any further: Is leadership getting harder?
“Leadership is a heart job, not a head job. You cannot technically or mechanically lead others.” Don Frericks
1. Harder Than Ever?
If you answered ‘yes,’ you are not alone. The research agrees with you:
73% of 500 senior UK decision-makers say their role has become more complex since 2020—79% among directors and C-suite executives, 82% at mid-sized companies (100–249 staff), and 85% in the tech sector. (Alliance Manchester Business School)
71% of leaders report a significant increase in stress since stepping into their current role, up from 63% in 2022. (DDI Global Leadership Forecast 2025)
Global manager engagement fell from 31% in 2022 to 22% in 2025, while non-managers dipped only slightly, from 20% to 19%. (Gallup State of the Global Workplace 2026)
Every time leaders are asked, they say it’s gotten harder. So has leading really become more difficult every single year? The numbers point to more stress, more complexity, and less engagement. Is that because we’re given fewer resources and asked to do more?
Or is it that people are harder to lead, because everyone wants something different and keeping them engaged feels nearly impossible? People want flexibility, competitive pay, great benefits, wellness, recognition, promotions, challenging work, opportunities for success, maternity and paternity leave, time off to take care of loved ones—and the list goes on.
It’s hard to keep everyone happy, and even harder to help them become more productive year after year, because what someone delivered last year often isn’t enough this year.
SOUND FAMILIAR?
You’re charged with redesigning your team’s workflows with AI—while still integrating with legacy systems and processes.
Developing your people is on your shoulders, and every person needs something different to grow.
You want to build a high-performing team, but when 20% of the team turns over every year, it’s almost impossible to get them performing well together.
2. So What?
Not all of us are called to lead.
The question I keep coming back to is: “So what is a leader supposed to do?”
Not all of us are cut out for leadership responsibility. If you don’t feel called to lead others—if you don’t have a passion for it, if you don’t want to serve others—being in a leadership role will be incredibly difficult. We need to take it on almost as a vocation, with a clear sense of purpose, or the responsibilities will get the best of us.
Becoming a leader should never be about the title or the pay raise. Nor should it be about getting to direct others and tell them what to do. Leadership is not about power and control. Too many managers have pursued more responsibility for the wrong reasons.
FROM MY EXPERIENCE:
When an IT Director who reported to me left for another opportunity, a man on the team came to me and said he should get the job. He had no leadership experience. He was smart, and he believed he was technically ready to lead the function. But he said nothing about leading people - only that he had the technical knowledge. He got the job anyway. He went around me and worked the politics above me, and it paid off. Years later, he still holds an executive title, and few people who work for him would call him a leader. He wanted the promotion. He never wanted the work of leading people. Desire does not equal readiness.
This happens more than we like to admit. Well-meaning people who want to move up, but have never led people, assume they’ll figure it out once they land the role. It’s often a recipe for failure.
3. What Can I Do About It?
Being a great leader is much harder than most people think. It is a vocation that demands real dedication and perseverance. To do it well, you must be willing to do more than your job, because your job is never just about getting the work done. It is about the people.
Never take a leadership role unless you are willing to do the things below. And once you’re in one, keep reminding yourself that you signed up for them.
WHAT GREAT LEADERSHIP ASKS OF YOU
Lead yourself
Work harder and longer than those on your team.
Stretch yourself as much as, if not more than, you stretch others.
Continually develop yourself, focusing on your strengths first.
Give away all the credit and take all the blame.
Lead your people
Continually develop your people beyond what they thought was possible.
Ask curious questions and listen actively so others feel fully heard.
Build relationships with people you don’t understand and may not like.
Inspire and motivate others to high performance.
Remove obstacles and protect your team.
Adapt how you communicate so you connect with all types of people.
Lead through difficulty
Make hard decisions.
Take criticism.
Tell the truth to powerful people who may not want to hear it.
Endure a bad boss who doesn’t get you or appreciate you.
4. Where to Start
Start by getting feedback from a credible leadership 360 assessment. Use that information as the foundation for your leadership development journey.
I’m biased, but I believe you’ll grow faster and more thoroughly with a great leadership coach: someone who will point out what you don’t see and don’t know, and who will hold you accountable to do the hard things. Like a good personal trainer, your coach should push you harder than you’d push yourself.
APPLICATION FOR LEADERS
Get honest feedback – complete a credible leadership 360.
Build on your strengths – use the results as the foundation for your development plan.
Get a coach – find someone who will tell you what you don’t see and hold you accountable.
A Final Thought
Becoming a great leader can be one of the most satisfying achievements of your career. Go for it with gusto. Commit to becoming extraordinary. I have seen many people make this transformation, and their careers were never the same.
LET’S TALK: Wondering where your biggest leadership opportunity lies? Let’s set up a conversation. I’ll share the one area I believe could make the greatest difference in your leadership right now.
don@donfrericks.com · 513-260-7637
The Leadership Edge - Sharpening your leadership skills, one insight at a time.