The Hard Truth About Leadership

The truth about leadership is this: while it can be fulfilling, energising, and deeply meaningful, it often isn’t fun. Behind the scenes, real leadership involves hard choices, personal sacrifice, and deep self-awareness. It’s not for the faint-hearted.

1. Leadership Means Making Unpopular Decisions

Great leaders don’t always get applause. They make decisions others can’t or won’t especially when it comes to managing performance.

Take the example of Magic Johnson. In his role with the LA Lakers, Johnson hinted that pressure to fire the head coach was one of many factors contributing to his resignation. The reality is clear: leaders often have to move people on, even when it’s uncomfortable. Poor performance, misalignment with values, or repeated failures are issues that can’t be ignored.

Letting someone go isn’t easy. But when done respectfully, it can lead to better outcomes for the team, the individual, and the organisation. It’s about doing what’s right, not what’s easy.

2. You Can’t Be Everybody’s Friend

Strong leaders know they can’t be friends with everyone. Boundaries matter. Johnson’s downfall in leadership wasn’t about skill, it was about fit. As a player and mentor, he thrived on relationships. But as an executive, the role required objectivity and restraint and these two things clashed with his natural style.

Leaders must make decisions based on what’s best for the organisation, not personal loyalty. That means keeping a healthy distance from some relationships and resisting the urge to please everyone.

3. You Shouldn’t Change Your Core to Lead

The truth about leadership is that it doesn’t change who you are. Rather, it reveals who you are.

Leaders who succeed know their values, strengths, and limitations. They lead from a place of authenticity, not performance. If the role clashes with your core identity, it’s not a fit and that’s okay. The most courageous leaders are those who step away when it’s clear the role demands something they can’t or shouldn’t become.

Johnson knew this. His resignation was an act of self-awareness. He saw that the job required a version of himself that wasn’t true to who he was.

Leadership Is Not a Popularity Contest

The hardest part of leadership isn’t the strategy or the systems. It’s the emotional weight. Being responsible for people, making hard calls, being judged publicly is exhausting. But it’s also the work that makes a difference.

True leadership is built on integrity, clarity, courage and not comfort.

Reflection Prompt:
Have you faced a leadership moment that tested your values or forced an unpopular decision? What did it teach you about who you are as a leader?

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Dr Jake Madden

I’m Jake Madden (Dip Teach; B.Ed; Grad Dip: Leadership; M. Ed: Leadership; EdD; FACEL; MACE), and I’ve had the privilege of working in education for over thirty years as a teacher and principal. Throughout my career, I’ve focused on supporting teachers to build their capacity, developing learning approaches that respond to the needs of today’s world, creating flexible learning spaces for 21st-century learners, and designing curriculum that encourages global mindedness. I’m particularly passionate about the concept of teacher-as-researcher, and I’ve been fortunate to contribute to this area by sharing my experiences through books and journal articles. My work reflects what I’ve learned from leading and navigating educational change, and I’m always eager to continue learning from others in the field.

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Author: Dr Jake Madden

I’m Jake Madden (Dip Teach; B.Ed; Grad Dip: Leadership; M. Ed: Leadership; EdD; FACEL; MACE), and I’ve had the privilege of working in education for over thirty years as a teacher and principal. Throughout my career, I’ve focused on supporting teachers to build their capacity, developing learning approaches that respond to the needs of today’s world, creating flexible learning spaces for 21st-century learners, and designing curriculum that encourages global mindedness. I’m particularly passionate about the concept of teacher-as-researcher, and I’ve been fortunate to contribute to this area by sharing my experiences through books and journal articles. My work reflects what I’ve learned from leading and navigating educational change, and I’m always eager to continue learning from others in the field. View all posts by Dr Jake Madden