The Cost of Leadership: The Deception of Emotion
One of the realities of leadership is that there is a cost associated with it. The truth is that there are just some sacrifices we have to choose to make in service of the position.
It means giving up the “right” we sometimes feel to dislike others.
It means giving up the feeling of hurt when we are misunderstood.
It means that when we are hurt, sometimes we still have to get back out there and keep playing.
Leadership is doing WHAT needs to be done, WHEN it needs to be done, regardless of how we FEEL about it at the moment. That truth is what makes those costs so challenging.
Emotions are fickle. They are inconsistent. They aren’t trustworthy.
But they are real!
If we want to maintain traction and eliminate distraction when we get hit with challenges, we have to be intentional about staying grounded in fact and not feeling.
That can be hard to do, especially when we feel like others aren’t vibing with us.
Or when we feel like others are displeased with us.
Or when we feel deficient or disrespected.
Or when we feel hurt.
I heard my friend Tim Lautzenheiser once say that positives come and go, but negatives accumulate. That is especially true of leadership. We have to work hard at not letting the negatives accumulate to a point of distraction from our WHY.
Here is the main point: Leadership is hard. But in this day and age, it is more necessary than ever before. People need others to choose to go first in doing what needs to be done, when it needs to be done. That choice, though, comes with a cost. But things that are worthwhile are rarely free. If we want to serve others, we have to be willing to pay the price. But the result, my friends, is a changed world for the better.
You are not alone. Together, WE can change the world.