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SME travel bosses offered support to counter loneliness and burnout

Former Focus Travel Partnership chief executive Abby Penston is to help small travel business chiefs battle loneliness and pressures in their working lives.

She is creating an executive coaching practice to support c-suite executives of small and medium sized companies (SMEs) across the industry.  

Myexec will provide coaching and mentoring from November based on a study published in the Harvard Business Review which found that 61% of executivesreport feeling lonely in their roles, highlighting the isolation that can accompany leadership positions.

Meanwhile, bosses who report high levels of loneliness are more likely to struggle with decision-making, conflict resolution, and team dynamics, which can hinder overall organisational performance, according to research by the Centre for Creative Leadership.

Penston said: “Being a leader or senior manager in an SME travel business can often feel a lonely role and can seem overwhelming at times. 

“A report by Deloitteindicates that leaders who feel isolated are at a greater risk of burnout, with 77%of executives citing the need for better support systems to manage stress and isolation. 

“This loneliness and pressure at the top can lead to disillusionment, burnout and high levels of stress and that is where we can bring specific expertise and experience to show to manage this area. 

“If you look to most successful business organisations around the world, and at the most powerful, innovative and influential business leaders, the vast majority have benefitted from senior level coaching and mentoring. 

“As a former CEO myself I am well familiar with the challenges and pressures that  SME business leaders face today. 

“I have discovered the techniques and strategies for dealing with those pressures and I’m passionate about passing that knowledge and advice on.”

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