Early in my career, I was promoted from my staff engineer position to a supervisor of people. I didn’t realize how things would change, specifically my relationship with others. Having only worked at McDonald’s and at two other jobs while at University, I had little experience as a supervisor, or what I think of the entry-level leader by title.
Not long after accepting the promotion, I walked into the mailroom of my old company to check my mailbox. As I approached the door to the room, I could hear the normal water-cooler talking going on with people I knew and talked with daily. After all the timing of my checking my mail was probably habitualized knowing it was time for visiting the normal group in the room. As I turned into the doorway, almost instantly the conversation stopped and a rather brief friendly exchange of recognition happened. After which everyone left the room. This had never happened prior, but it did now. I had a title of leadership. I was treated differently because of it.
While I don’t like this observation, I suspect it is true of most people who are promoted into leadership postions. As I continued throughout my career, I was able to lift others up over time and depending upon how they were handling their own transitions, I found myself more often than not pointing out that people will treat you differently because of the title. Of course the title does bare responsiblity that is differenet and at times can impact others around you.
Today I sit in the CEO chair and at times it gets lonely.
at 27 years 
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