My Favorite Mistake: Learning Without Blame in Business and Leadership

Executive Nick Jonsson Hid Behind a Façade of Success, Didn't Ask for Help

Nick Jonsson · July 4, 2022

Executive Coach · Author · TEDX Speaker · Leadership · Wellness · Life Coachin

Interview with Nick Jonsson

Executive Nick Jonsson Hid Behind a Façade of Success, Didn't Ask for Help

Podcast: My Favorite Mistake: Learning Without Blame in Business and Leadership

July 4, 2022

Author of Executive Loneliness Episode page with video, transcript, and more My guest for Episode #171 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Nick Jonsson, joining us from Singapore. CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains a brief mention of a death by suicide. If you are in…

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Key topicsWhy Success Makes Leaders Lonely-and Why That’s an Organizational RiskIsolation at the top isn’t a character flaw; it’s a leading indicator of burnout, secrecy, and bad decisions that can cascade through a company. Nick Jonsson-ranked the world’s #1 thought leader on Executive Loneliness and author of _Executive Loneliness_-turns a taboo into a leadership imperative. Drawing on lived recovery, global research, and years coaching senior executives, he reframes loneliness as a system problem that demands a system fix. His 5 Steps to Holistic Leadership™-Surrender, Connection, Purpose, Goals, Discipline-give leaders a practical, stigma-free playbook to move from silent strain to sustainable performance. Nick’s approach is disarmingly candid and deeply actionable: how to build psychologically safe peer forums, measure connection like any other KPI, and replace performative toughness with habits that boost engagement, retention, and decision quality. It’s the conversation leaders avoid-delivered by someone who’s been there, and knows how to get them out. Performance & Biohacking for Business LeadersDrawing from his experience as a top 2% Ironman athlete, Nick shares how leaders can optimize their energy, focus, and recovery through biohacking strategies. He connects physical conditioning, mental clarity, and executive performance, offering practical steps for leaders to sustain peak performance without burnout. What a Top 2% Ironman Athlete Does Differently on Low-Energy DaysNick Jonsson races Ironman in the top 2% of the field and spent more than two decades running businesses and teams across Asia before burnout and addiction stopped him. He argues that most executives treat a flat day as a discipline problem and push through it, when endurance sport treats it as data and changes the plan. He walks through what he actually does when the energy is not there: how he reads the signal, what he cuts first, how sleep, food and training get adjusted rather than abandoned, and why recovery is scheduled before it is needed. He points to his own record, from rebuilding after hospitalisation to hosting more than 300 episodes of The Limitless Podcast while training and coaching. Listeners leave with a practical way to handle their worst days instead of losing a week to them.View all topics →

About Nick Jonsson

#1 Global Thought Leader on Executive Loneliness, International Bestselling Author and TEDx Speaker

900+ EGN Southeast Asia membersTop 2% Ironman athletes worldwide2026 GHP Most Empowering Mental Health Leadership Advocate#28 worldwide Global Gurus Top 30 Coaching Professionals

Nick Jonsson is widely recognized as the world's leading authority on Executive Loneliness. His pioneering work has earned him a dedicated Executive Loneliness Wikipedia page and international recognition, establishing him as one of the world's most respected voices on leadership, vulnerability, mental wellbeing, and authentic connection.

Ranked #28 in the world among the Global Gurus Top 30 Coaching Professionals, Nick is a TEDx speaker, international bestselling author of Executive Loneliness, Professional Certified Coach (PCC), Certified Master Coach (CMC), qualified Counsellor and Psychotherapist, facilitator, and certified Team Psychological Safety practitioner.

For more than two decades, Nick held senior international leadership roles, leading businesses and high-performing teams across Asia. From the outside, his career reflected success. Privately, however, he struggled with burnout, alcohol addiction, and overwhelming loneliness - experiences that ultimately became the turning point of his life.

Rather than allowing those challenges to define him, Nick rebuilt his life through recovery, vulnerability, discipline, and purpose. Today, every keynote, workshop, coaching engagement, and counselling conversation is grounded in both professional expertise and lived experience.

Nick works globally with executives, leadership teams, founders, and organizations through keynote speaking, executive coaching, counselling and psychotherapy, leadership facilitation, and Team Psychological Safety training.

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About this episode

Author of Executive Loneliness

Episode page with video, transcript, and more

My guest for Episode #171 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast isNick Jonsson, joining us from Singapore.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains a brief mention of a death by suicide. If you are in crisis or you think you may have an emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. If you're having suicidal thoughts, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to talk to a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area at any time (National Suicide Prevention Lifeline).

Nick is the co-founder and Managing Director of one of Asia's premier networking organizations, Executives' Global Network (EGN) Singapore — a caring peer group community providing hundreds of executives a safe haven to share their challenges, receive support, and learn from each other.

His passion for mental health awareness through his very lived life experiences paved the way for Nick to author his first #1 international bestselling book, published in April 2021— Executive Loneliness: The 5 Pathways to Overcoming Isolation, Stress, Anxiety and Depression in the Modern Business World.

In adjunct to his book, Nick has also created a more easily accessible and less formal online community, where executives and business leaders can connect, learn about and reduce the risk of burnout and isolation, with www.Leaders-Anonymous.com.

In this episode, Nick shares his “favorite mistake” story about keeping emotions in — hiding behind a facade of success and waiting too long to ask for help. Why did he struggle with alcoholism and depression, even as he became more successful in his career? What finally prompted him to look for help? What did he learn from these experiences and how has it inspired him to help others?

We also talk about questions and topics including:

“It’s lonely at the top” — How is executive loneliness different to everyday loneliness that any of us may experience?

Loneliness in that feeling of loneliness? Executives' Global Network (EGN) Singapore — “Confidential peer networks” — available in the US and other places

Difficult for execs to ask for help before hitting rock bottom?

“Smiling depression”

“Insecure overachievers” — inner insecurity

His LinkedIn post that went viral

Impact of Covid times? 2019 - 30% 2020 - “had doubled to 59% saying there was executive loneliness”

Difference - introverts vs. extroverts?

Introverts — more comfortable in isolation doesn’t mean it’s good for us

Are there any cultural challenges when it comes to talking about executive loneliness? Are some countries where E.L. is a bigger problem, or countries where it’s not addressed?

If I was an Executive experiencing loneliness, or I was a friend or family member of someone who I suspect might be experiencing executive loneliness, what’s an easy ‘next step’ for me to take?

How might we bring this up if somebody seems like they need help?

How might we recognize signs of E.L. in ourselves or others?

Tell us about the networks — EGN and Leaders-Anonymous are different

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Guest: Nick Jonsson