Before we meet the person, we often meet the title.
Manager. Director. Business Owner. CEO. Team leader.
Titles tell us something important. They help us understand the role someone holds within an organisation.
What they don’t tell us is what it feels like to sit behind them.
Replaying a conversation long after the meeting has ended, sitting with a decision that affects others. Questioning whether a situation was handled in the best way possible or carrying thoughts that nobody else realises are being carried.
These moments are rarely visible from the outside. In fact, the higher the expectations attached to a role, the easier it can become to assume that someone has everything worked out.
Yet that is not always reality.
Behind many titles sits a question that is rarely discussed openly.
What happens if I get this wrong?
It is a question that can remain unspoken, yet it surfaces across organisations, industries and roles.
Not because someone lacks capability or experience. More often the oposite. The people asking themselves that question are usually thinking carefully about the impact.
The people others turn to for answers are not free from uncertainty, reflection, responsibility, or self-doubt simply because of the role they hold. They are still navigating situations, balancing competing demands, and trying to make the best decisions they can.
What we don't always see is someone trying to get it right.
Sometimes, the people carrying titles are also the people trying to work it out alone.
Perhaps that is what I have come to recognise over the years.
The title may be different.
Behind it is 100% human.
Further reading
Many of the conversations described in this article begin long before they become visible to others. RTSC's approach is built around creating opportunities for those conversations to happen earlier, through confidential, independent support during the working day.
Read about the RTSC Approach →
Explore Confidential Drop-In Days →
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