Several years ago I wrote a post titled “Let the Haters Hate.” It was written in terms of standing in a role of leadership and having those around you who may or may not be directly reporting to you take shots at the things you say and do. If you’re going to be a leader, you’re going to have some haters. It’s a fact of life. You’ll never make everyone happy.
Taking a stand and representing any form of forward progress will cause some of the people around you to disagree, challenge, object, and even rebel. Not everyone will like who and what you are as a leader.
You just can’t let that get you down.
Here’s an update
I’m writing this update because, well, it’s happened again. Only this time it has taken a different form.
First, let me share a bit of the back story. A few months ago, I met an entrepreneur named Roy Osing. He was a guest on my podcast “Leadership Powered by Common Sense.” In episode #43 we talked about ‘be different or be dead.’ That’s a reference to your marketing plans.
See video here.
Roy’s idea was that if you cannot define an “ONLY” statement, you’re not being different. If you’re not the only one doing something, why should anyone care to talk to you? Personally, I liked that idea.
I thought about it a little while and decided to declare myself as the ONLY business advisor and coach who will help you find simple, common sense answers. See a theme here?
I believe the business world gets too cluttered with buzz words, technical jargon, and nebulous noise where people are trying to pump up what they do without being able to explain in simple terms the thing they are about.
I’m the guy who wants you to keep it simple. Strip away the jargon and high-tech vocabulary and tell me the direct message you have.
Anyway, having done that in my social media channels, a colleague was alerted I had done so. This is a person who himself is an accomplished entrepreneur, business advisor, and mentor. He took offense that I was so bold as to say this about myself.
He claimed I was offending anyone who operated in the same space as a coach, advisor, or consultant.
My quick and definitely insensitive reply was “Ha, made you look.” That didn’t help matters much.
So what
My point here is this. All of us in business, whether you are the founder or a manager/leader, will have people who are going to take their shots at us. Hopefully, not the literal kind, but the verbal, sometimes written messages to challenge what you said or did.
If you are making any forward motion whatsoever, the wake you create will rock somebody’s boat. Just know that. Be ready to accept it.
Besides, if they come at you with a competitive edge, you know you’ve struck a nerve. Good for you! Stay strong. Be bold.
Be the ONLY one who does what you do!
