Leadership is not a popularity contest: Why great leaders make the tough calls
Leadership is often misunderstood. Many assume that being a great leader means being well-liked, admired and universally respected. While strong leadership can inspire and create loyalty, it is not a popularity contest. The best leaders understand that making tough decisions, enforcing accountability and standing firm in the face of conflict are what truly drive a business forward.
One of the biggest mistakes CEOs and business owner-operators make is prioritizing being liked over making strategic decisions. This tendency manifests in various ways: avoiding difficult conversations, failing to hold employees accountable, steering clear of unpopular but necessary decisions and prioritizing short-term harmony over long-term success. While it may feel good to be liked in the moment, the long-term consequences of weak leadership can be devastating to an organization.
Common leadership pitfalls when leaders seek approval over strategy
1. Avoiding difficult conversations
Many leaders fear confrontation. They avoid addressing underperformance, conflict, or difficult workplace dynamics because they don’t want to be seen as harsh or overly critical. However, avoiding these tough conversations doesn’t make the problems go away—it makes them worse.
I’ve seen this firsthand while advising family business owners. One of my clients, the patriarch of a large family conglomerate, refused to confront his underperforming son, who was in a senior leadership position. He feared that addressing the issue would create family tension. Over time, this lack of accountability led to internal resentment, declining business performance and an eventual leadership crisis. By the time he finally addressed the issue, major damage had already been done.
2. Not holding others accountable
Leaders who want to be liked often struggle with enforcing accountability. They fear that demanding high performance, setting strict KPIs (key performance indicators), or disciplining underperformers will make them unpopular. But accountability is the backbone of any successful business.
I worked with a business in the Middle East, the birthplace of three major globally recognized brands. The business was tightly controlled by one individual who failed to put accountability systems in place. When the leader unexpectedly passed away, chaos ensued. Key executives, who had never been held accountable, took advantage of the situation—lavish spending, inefficiency and even fraud became rampant. The family struggled for months to regain control, all because accountability had never been enforced.
3. Avoiding unpopular but necessary decisions
Some decisions are bound to be unpopular—whether it’s downsizing, closing an underperforming division, shifting strategic direction, or enforcing stricter performance measures. Weak leaders avoid making these calls because they fear backlash from employees or stakeholders.
I’ve personally worked with many business owners who faced similar dilemmas. One client had an outdated division that was losing money, but they were emotionally attached to it. Employees in that division loved the status quo, and shutting it down would mean letting people go. After much resistance, I convinced the client to cut their losses and redirect resources to more profitable areas. Within a year, profitability had increased dramatically. But had they continued delaying the decision, the entire business could have suffered.
4. Letting personal relationships interfere with business decisions
Many leaders, particularly in family businesses, struggle to separate personal relationships from professional ones. This often leads to nepotism, where underqualified family members hold key positions simply because they are related to the owner. In such cases, leaders choose family harmony over business efficiency.
A well-documented example is the downfall of many once-thriving family conglomerates, where the next generation lacked the skills or discipline to lead effectively. Strong leaders must put the business first, even when it means making difficult choices about family involvement.
5. Underutilizing the ‘stick’ in leadership
Many leaders prefer to lead through motivation and incentives rather than consequences. While positive reinforcement is valuable, it cannot be the sole leadership strategy. Consequences—such as demotions, terminations and disciplinary actions—are necessary tools for ensuring organizational discipline.
When employees see that underperformance has no real consequences, they lose the motivation to push themselves. A culture that tolerates mediocrity eventually leads to widespread inefficiency and lost revenue.
Five to thrive: Embracing conflict and making strategic decisions
As a business leader, your goal is not to be liked, it is to make the best strategic decisions. Your ability to succeed long-term is directly proportional to your ability to face conflict head on and not be afraid of it. It’s about making decisions that are in the best interest of the company, even when they are unpopular.
1. Face conflict head-on
Great leaders do not shy away from difficult conversations. Instead of avoiding confrontation, they tackle issues directly, ensuring that problems are addressed before they escalate.
I’ve worked with a billionaire entrepreneur who built a multinational empire. One of the key reasons for his success was his ability to have tough conversations. When a senior executive was failing, he didn’t hesitate to make a change, no matter how personally close they had been. This decisiveness kept the company strong and prevented stagnation.
2. Enforce accountability at every level
Accountability must be a core principle of leadership. This means setting clear performance expectations and holding everyone—from junior employees to senior executives—responsible for meeting them.
3. Make decisions based on strategy, not emotion
The best leaders are strategic decision-makers. They focus on what is best for the long-term success of the business, even if it means making painful choices.
Amazon’s Jeff Bezos is an example of a leader who prioritizes long-term strategy over short-term approval. Bezos has made numerous unpopular decisions—including shutting down unprofitable projects and enforcing rigorous work standards—but these choices have positioned Amazon as one of the most dominant companies in the world.
4. Balance rewards and consequences
Effective leadership involves both the carrot and the stick. While rewarding top performers is crucial, leaders must also ensure that those who underperform face appropriate consequences. This maintains fairness and motivates employees to strive for excellence.
5. Cultivate a long-term perspective
In leadership, short-term popularity often comes at the cost of long-term success. A great leader must have the resilience to withstand criticism and the vision to make strategic decisions that will benefit the business in the long run.
