I was once fired because too many people I was leading didn’t “like” me. I laughed on the way out the door thinking… Well, it’s called LEADERSHIP, not LIKERSHIP. Somewhere along the way, people started believing a leader’s job was to make everyone comfortable. It isn’t. ✅ A leader’s job is to tell the truth. And I do. ✅ To hold people accountable. And I do. ✅ To make hard decisions. And I do. ✅ To protect the standard, even when it makes them unpopular. And I do. Someone in a leadership position convinced me I needed people to like me. 🤦🏻‍♂️ Worst leadership advice I ever received, and it’s my fault for taking it. In my lifetime, I learned to lead men in situations where failure had consequences far greater than a poor quarterly report. That experience taught me something I’ll never forget: Popularity is rented. Respect is earned. And one more thing… Success doesn’t automatically make someone worth following. Bernie Madoff was wildly successful. Character, not inc...