When She Had to Make an Unpopular Decision
Choosing what she believed was right even when it was not well received.
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Contributors
I quit the bank and started my own business to stay home and bake my boys cookies. The boys are now 43 and 38 and I have yet to bake those cookies I promised them!!!
I once chose to uphold established standards and protect the integrity of the organization, knowing the direction would disappoint people I respected. I communicated it honestly, listened without becoming defensive, and accepted the reaction, because leadership requires the courage to do what is necessary, not merely what is popular.
I greatly appreciated this honor they had given me, but I received it because of all the obligations I was presently doing for my family and community. So I will not be changing anything I am already doing and will do for them whatever I can add to my "plate". I knew that my response was not what they were anticipating and that I was no longer in the running. However my children were young and my family comes first.
As a Black woman in leadership, I've learned that being respected sometimes requires the courage to make decisions that won't make you popular. I communicate the why, stand firmly in what is right, and accept that leadership isn't about keeping everyone comfortable, it's about having the courage to move people and the organization forward, even when you have to stand alone.