Leadership: managing the fallout of making unpopular decisions

There are very few leaders who would choose to make themselves unpopular with their team.

But sometimes, when tough decisions are required or difficult changes must be made in an organisation, the upshot can be that it ruffles feathers and takes people out of their comfort zones.

Change is a natural part of improving the performance of any business or organisation, but sometimes that can cause turbulence and leaders can wear the fallout.

As the late Shane Warne said: ‘Sometimes the best coaches aren’t always liked by the players.’

If you want to get the best performance out of your staff, you may have to make decisions that meet with resistance … And you might not be liked for it.

That can be a lonely experience.

Let’s face it: most people want to be liked, praised and admired, so it can be stressful having to do unpopular things.

To have the resilience to ride that out, it’s important to have a good support system around you. This will bolster your confidence to make the changes necessary to keep your organisation moving forward.

See my Video for more thoughts on this.

I’m also an independent director who enjoys making a difference for organisations with a sense of social responsibility. If you have a vacancy on your Board and want a partnership with excellence, reach out to chat.