Leadership comes with upsides and downsides, as do most life experiences and paths. But should every leader willingly acquiesce to loneliness?

Sure, some situations require the person in charge to make the final call. Alone. And that’s okay; such weight comes with the desk.

Experience has shown, though, that a wonderfully effective antidote to feeling lonely exists. It’s called listening to the voices. Not just anyone, mind you. Because a generous number of folks would love the chance to tell you what to do, how to do it, and what you’re not doing well. Nope, you are not alone as you encounter those people. Forget about that noise for a moment.

Whose positive voices deserve a leader’s high definition attention? Who offers words that remove feelings of loneliness because they travel in your ears through your brain and land in your heart? Aside from my spouse and immediate family, my life and leadership work better because of the following six voices. If these people ...