Being a leader is hard. Whenever I heard that sentence, as a lot of people do, I always jumped to the thought that it’s hard getting there, it’s hard getting people to listen, it’s hard to organize things but I never thought or realized how it was hard on yourself.
When you are a leader, you have to be fair, dependable, responsible, trustworthy, and selfless. Selflessness is the hardest aspect of that list because along with that selflessness is a selfishness that needs to be there also.
It is all too easy to lose yourself as a leader. You work so hard to be there for others. You sacrifice your self care, sometimes getting lost in work or consuming yourself in others issues. It is important and necessary to take that step back and realize there are other things going on in your life.
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Along with this fine line of selfishness and selflessness is humbleness. You have to be strong as a leader and knowledgeable but you also have to balance that energy with humbleness. The thing that is most difficult about being humble is knowing that some people will never see you in this humble light. Their jealousy and envy will always overshadow the humble, self aware light you put out. It is necessary to realize that this is their problem. They will always be this way. They will probably always think of you like this. It doesn’t matter their thoughts but your reaction, and this, this is difficult. Despite being someone who is held in the high esteem of your peers, your status and what others think of you is ever changing and easily fleeting.
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It is a heavy burden, facing those who oppose you. Containing and controlling emotions that you may dislike and/or are scared of is a difficult task, almost impossible at times. But just breathe, take a deep breath. Understand that these people’s thoughts are something you cannot control, your actions are. Find someone you trust, confide in them, allow them to help you process these emotions. Figure out what will make you feel better, what will make you a better person. Don’t hesitate to appropriately confront this person, or even take some more steps to humble yourself to them. However, never forget that you cannot control others thoughts or opinions, only your own and that there is a reason you have been chosen for this position. Think back to those things, your core values and find comfort in your identity.