This past week reminded me of one of the toughest parts of leadership: having difficult conversations. These were not negative discussions, but moments of aligning people to the bigger vision. Even good conversations can create tension. People are sensitive when they are challenged, but it is through those moments that alignment and clarity happen.

As leaders, we are conductors of an orchestra. Each person at the table has a role, a strength to play to. Yet people often want to explore paths that may not suit them. Leadership means allowing that exploration, but also knowing when to bring them back to where they are most effective.

The Founder’s Dilemma

This leads to the bigger question of succession. How do you replace a founder? It is one of the hardest transitions in any business. Replacing a professional manager or director is one thing. Replacing the founder, the person who has poured their soul, money, and energy into a business, is entirely different.

I noticed this again in my own role. I am not just managing. I am the glue that keeps the team together. I am the person preventing conflicts from boiling over. I am the one ensuring innovation continues. It made me realise that succession in a founder-led business may require a completely different solution. Sometimes it may even mean professionalising the business, bringing in outside structures to prepare for a future where the founder eventually steps back.

Lessons from the 1920s

Interestingly, this reflection on succession reminded me of something much older. I came across a book of Rockefeller’s letters to his son from the 1920s. In it, he wrote about the importance of nurturing the soul. At first, that may sound abstract. We know how to feed the body through food, training, and rest. But how do you feed the soul?

In the same era, Carl Jung was shaping psychology, showing that the human condition had not changed much. Technology has evolved, but the essence of human nature remains the same. People still have feelings, desires, and fears. They still need replenishment.

In the 1920s, stories were told through theatre and musicals, such as the Chicago production about a woman in jail. The human struggles in that story are no different from today. We may have social media, AI, and advanced technology, but the core of humanity has not shifted. We still wrestle with ambition, succession, failure, and purpose.

The Cost of True Leadership

Many aspire to lead, but few understand the price. Real leadership means opening your wallet when times are tough. It means risking your own resources, knowing you may never see them again.

That is what separates a founder from others. Managers may run a company effectively, but the founder has lived through the moments where the business survives only because of personal sacrifice. That is why succession is so difficult. It is not just about skills, it is about carrying the scars of ownership.

Replenishing the Soul

The Rockefeller letters left me with a powerful question: how do I feed my own soul? We often speak about recharging batteries, but that is different. Batteries refer to energy for the body. Feeding the soul is deeper. It is about meaning, about aligning belief with action.

Too often people rely on belief without action. They say they have faith things will work out, but they take no steps toward making it happen. Feeding the soul requires both reflection and action. It means doing the things that keep us grounded, whether that is faith, creativity, giving back, or simply being curious and learning.

For me, I do not yet have the full answer. It is a question I am still asking myself. But the very act of asking is important. As leaders, if we do not take time to nurture the soul, the challenges of leadership and succession become even heavier.