Responsibility Means Disappointing Someone

"Being responsible sometimes means pissing people off."

— Colin Powell

Context

Colin Powell included this line among the rules for leading he gathered over a long military career and published in his 1995 memoir, My American Journey. It reads as blunt because the idea is blunt: authority exists to make decisions, and decisions have losers. Powell's warning targets leaders who confuse being liked with being effective, who soften a verdict until nobody can act on it. Responsibility, in his framing, means accepting the cost of a clear call rather than outsourcing it to consensus. It matters now because modern workplaces reward agreeableness, and avoidance can pass for kindness while problems quietly grow. The discomfort is the evidence you actually decided something.

Reflection Question

Which decision are you avoiding because you want to be liked more than you want to be useful? Who is quietly paying for your delay?

Application Tip

Today, name one decision you have been postponing because someone will be unhappy with it. Write the decision in one sentence, then list who it affects and what each person needs to hear. Spend ten minutes drafting a calm, direct message that states the decision and the reason without apology. Deliver it before 5 p.m., in person or by phone if possible. Tonight, note how the reaction compared with your prediction. Repeat weekly, and track how many postponed decisions you clear.