Not Everyone Will Like You
I have been following the funeral of our 41st President, George Herbert Walker Bush, with some curiosity. I had the pleasure of reading a book a few years back that was a compilation of his letters. It was effective in portraying the maturation of a boy into a war hero, a successful businessman, a lawmaker, and eventually the President of the United States.
We are hard on our one-term Presidents despite the immense pressures of the position. The job is truly for giants. Just ascending to the Oval Office is to be commended and admired. That’s why I was taken aback today of all days by an overtly critical piece I read that detailed his “failures” as our nation’s leader. It wasn’t the only one posted in the last few days. Many of them reflected which side of party lines the authors stand on.
It reminded me that as a leader—especially one who has risen to where strategic-level decisions must be made—you will be criticized. Your exposure to criticism and even ridicule only increases with each rung you climb up the proverbial ladder. These are truths that you have to be comfortable with if you aspire to rise higher in the organizational hierarchy.
So, steel yourself and say it: Not everyone is going to like me. Then, say it again. Remind yourself of it often because inevitably there will come a day when someone will think you made the wrong move and won’t be afraid to tell absolutely everyone about it. It’s then when I’ll remind you that, historically, US Presidents who win “landslide” victories only win about 60% of the popular vote. That means 4 in 10 people thought someone else would be better for the job.
If these relative titans of leadership can’t get everyone to support them, then give yourself a break. Do your best to make decisions that you believe bring the greatest good. I like to believe that is the perspective of most of our nation’s leaders, no matter what political party they label themselves as. And I believe that was the perspective of President George H. W. Bush. May he rest in peace.