Pleasing People

I was driving to Macon today and listening to the Bengals vs. Chargers football playoff game on the radio. In a span of five minutes there were two plays that had to be reviewed by instant replay. One of them was in favor of the hometown Bengals while the other was for their opponent. Even through the radio, I could hear the two different reactions from the crowd. They cheered loudly when the outcome benefitted them and quickly rained down boos when it went against them. Their reaction didn't change the referee's decision, but he simply stated the outcome and moved on.

When you are a leader there will be times when your decisions are well received and others when it is less than popular. The key to great leadership is to be consistent in adhering to the vision and not wavering based solely on people's reactions. Not every decision you make will be met with cheers, but that doesn't change a leader's responsibility to make the best choice with integrity. Being consumed with people pleasing leaves very little time for vision and growth. A healthy leader will always be concerned with the people they are leading, but their focus will always be on making the right decision even if it isn't well received.