Why It's Hard to Love a Leader

I realized something this week after a few challenging situations and conversations:

Loving a leader isn’t easy.

And I’m not talking about romantic love—I mean the kind that looks like trust, patience, and respecting the intentions. The kind that stays steady, even when you don’t fully agree or have the full picture.

Leaders don’t operate like most people. We move fast. We think big. We carry weight behind the scenes most people never see. We’re not wired to always color inside the lines—we’re built to build.

And that can come off as intense. Decisive. Sometimes even selfish or secretive. Especially when the reasons behind our choices aren’t immediately clear or when it's not appropriate to give full context.

They may sometimes seem like the enemy by default.

I have been facing this as our company grows. By being in charge, the boss, a Founder, a CEO... I own that it's hard to love me. Leadership be lonely like that!

So if there’s a leader in your life, here’s what they probably need most:

• Trust, even when the "why" isn’t obvious

• Patience, when they feel a step ahead

• And a reminder they’re still human, even when they carry the burden with confidence

And to my leaders reading this, what would you add?