September 15th, 2025

Posted by: Amanda Thwing

Being in a senior leadership position is often lonely. Despite all the direct reports, student staff and colleagues that you work with, it seems no one else manages the level of activities, at the detail you do, with the knowledge and challenges of all the staff, partners, and clients. You often feel weighed down with staffing issues and opportunities, client questions, requests for reports, the desire to streamline processes and procedures, and the directive to find new revenue. When talking to colleagues/peers, you start to share, looking for connection, support and empathy, but quickly stop when your colleague brings up their stress level. For you know you are not the only one feeling this way, you are not the only one working at both ends of the day to find a way to get everything done. But then the question arises, am I destined to feel alone in every leadership position from now on? Does anyone understand my stresses, anxieties, and successes?

This was me, 100%, 2 years ago. I was transitioning into the conference and events area and felt all of this with every fiber of my being. I often felt like a deer in the headlights. Since I was just learning the area, I decided, at the encouragement of a friend, to attend my first annual ACCED-I Conference. I was nervous and wondering if I had made a huge mistake in my current journey into conference and events. Leading up to the conference I remember the slurry of email, the mention of the 1st timer mentor and offers to help with various committees. I just remember thinking, did I just get myself into even more work!? I got to the conference, I registered and then I hid, telling myself that I can do this. As someone who prides themselves on being strong and able to push my comfort zone, I thought I had met my match, and yet, I didn’t understand why. Maybe because I felt like an outsider or imposter. Maybe because I had pushed my comfort level too much. Maybe because I knew for the first time in many years I was not one of the most knowledgeable in my area at my institution.

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