Approve, Agree, or Applaud: Leadership is Lonely

Let me tell you something about leadership—it’s not for the weak, and it sure isn’t for the ones looking to be liked.

I’ve spent years in this game—navigating bureaucracy, breaking barriers, making calls that didn’t make me friends but made a difference. And through it all, I’ve come to realize something that most people don’t want to admit:

Do you want to be popular, or do you want to be prominent? Because prominence comes with a cost.

Early in my career, I thought if you worked hard, if you did the right thing, if you genuinely wanted to help people, you’d get respect, appreciation—maybe even admiration. That was cute. Because the moment you step into real leadership, the moment you start making decisions that shift the status quo, you find out real quick—people will turn on you.

*They will misunderstand you.

*They will challenge you.

*They will critique every move you make.

And here’s the part that used to get me: most of the criticism won’t come from those ahead of you. It’ll come from the ones who’ve never built, never sacrificed, never risked anything.

1. People who’ve never chased a dream will be the first to tell you to let go of yours.

2. People who’ve never built anything will swear they know what you should create.

3. Broke folks will have all the advice on how to spend your money.

4. And the ones with no platform? They’ll work the hardest to tear yours down.

That’s why most people never step up. It’s not because they don’t have the skill or the talent. It’s because they’re scared of what leadership demands. They don’t want the pressure. They don’t want the weight. They want the influence without the opposition, the success without the scrutiny, the growth without the growing pains.

Hear these words and get nervous....You cannot stand out and stand still at the same time!

I had to learn that the hard way. There was a point when I questioned it all—Is this worth it? Is this fight even making a difference? Because leadership? It’s lonely. It’s grueling. It’s unforgiving.

But then I had to ask myself an even bigger question: Why did I start? Was it for approval? Was it to be liked? Was it for the applause?

No.

I stepped into leadership because I wanted to make an impact. I wanted to change the game, rewrite the rules, and open doors that were slammed shut in the faces of people who keep grinding but have never gotten their shot. And that kind of work? It comes with resistance.

So here’s what I know:

If you’re waiting for people to approve, agree, or applaud before you make a move, you’ll never move. If you’re waiting for the path to be easy, you’ll never get anywhere worth going. If you want to make history, you have to be willing to take the hits.

Because real leadership isn’t about being comfortable. It’s about being courageous. And if you can stand in the fire and keep moving forward, you won’t just lead—you’ll leave a legacy.