Leaders Don’t Care About Popularity

If you want to be a better leader…

Get comfortable telling people what they need to hear.

Too many people in leadership positions let problems slide because they don’t want to upset anybody.

They see the bad habits…

They see the lack of effort…

They see the same mistakes happening over and over…

…and say nothing.

Then they wonder why their team isn’t getting better.

What the fuck did you expect?

You can’t refuse to address the problem and expect the problem to fix itself.

If you know someone is capable of more…

…but you let them keep operating below their potential because you’re afraid of an uncomfortable conversation…

You’re choosing your comfort over their development.

Be honest about that.

You aren’t doing them a favor.

You’re letting them down.

Leadership requires you to care enough about people to risk having them pissed off at you.

That means telling them where they’re falling short.

Showing them what the standard looks like.

Giving them the direction and support to meet it…

…and holding them accountable for doing the work.

It also means having enough discipline to make the conversation useful.

Be specific.

Address the behavior.

Explain what needs to change.

Then follow through.

Calling somebody out without helping them understand how to improve doesn’t make you a strong leader.

Neither does lowering the standard every time somebody struggles to meet it.

Your responsibility is to help people become capable of more.

Sometimes that takes encouragement.

Sometimes it takes patience.

And sometimes it takes a conversation neither one of you wants to have.

Have it anyway.

If being liked matters more to you than helping your people improve…

Your priorities are wrong.

Tell them the truth.

Hold the standard.

Help them do the work.

…and hold yourself accountable for setting the example.

That’s the job.