Many athletes have taken upon themselves the will to travel into a world where the biology of the human body is not made to survive.
Scuba divers, free divers and mountaineers have chosen to stretch the limits of their bodies and fight extreme pressure, lack or complete absence of oxygen, temperature change, environmental challenges and physical difficulties.
Our human bodies are simply not designed to survive these conditions, and athletes know that with each journey, they are putting their lives at risk. Equipment and trainings help them increase their levels of survival, but one main factor remains their only chance at succeeding: A buddy.
Scuba divers, free divers, climbers and mountaineers all have one thing in common: a buddy. A buddy is a person whom you trust and has the ability to act in response to any situation that you might be in.
Similarly, leaders should have buddies, people with whom they could talk about problems or situations that they are currently having, trust them enough to share everything with them and listen to their advice.

How do you choose your leadership buddy? Who are the candidates and what is expected from a buddy?

Choosing a leadership buddy might look difficult at first, but it is not.  These are the main 3 aspects of what your leadership buddy should have:

1. Trust

A buddy could be a subordinate, a colleague, a level-up manager or a friend. Your buddy doesn’t have to be older or have more expertise than you, although these qualities might be tempting, but a buddy’s trust is more important than his performance. Focus on choosing someone you trust.

2. Integrity

Your leadership buddy should have integrity and be honest about what he sees and how that makes him feel. Avoid people pleasing attitudes and personalities, go towards someone who is great at stating his opinion.

3. Forward thinking

Being honest, having a clear opinion, and criticizing might lead to a destructive attitude. A leadership buddy’s most important quality is to have a forward thinking mentality, to be constructive and push you forward towards achieving your goals.

Leadership is a practice, it is a sport, endurance and consistency are important but having a buddy will keep you in line with your vision, your goals and will help you overcome problems and obstacles that you may face.