One of the harder truths to internalize in any position of leadership is that the job isn’t about being liked.
It is about providing clarity of vision, energy toward getting the right things done, and delivering results.
Often, those goals exist in direct opposition to being liked. And in those situations, the only way forward is to remind ourselves that it is okay to be tough – as long as we’re being fair.
Leadership is often an act of deferring the gratification of being liked in the short run for appreciation in the long run.
