On a cold Friday night in December, the weight of the responsibility hit me for the first time.
ADDO had been around for 3 ½ years, and our team and their spouses were gathered for our annual Christmas party.
When I first co-founded ADDO, I was a young, unmarried entrepreneur with big dreams and an extremely high risk tolerance. The stakes seemed more than manageable – if our venture crashed and burned, I could always pivot or simply find another job. Our mission was to create something impactful and world-changing, but the personal consequences of failure felt minimal.
Then came the pivotal moment at our company Christmas party. I looked around the room at our small but growing team and their loved ones. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. The decisions we were making were no longer just affecting me. They weren’t just affecting our immediate team. The success or failure of our venture would impact spouses, children, and entire families.
Suddenly, the weight of leadership felt heavy – very heavy.
Have you ever heard the saying, “Heavy is the head that wears the crown”?
Transparently, I never liked the expression. It felt arrogant. The ruler lamenting the fact that they were in charge.
But the actual saying from Shakespeare’s King Henry IV feels far more appropriate: “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.” In context, the king admits to sleepless nights, worrying over decisions and their consequences. He acknowledges the constant pressure and uncertainty that comes with true leadership.
This burden, this uneasiness, is a sign that you’re taking your responsibilities seriously. When I felt that weight settle on my shoulders, it changed how I approached decision-making. I considered broader contexts, looked further into the future, and weighed the ripple effects of my choices.
The burden of leadership isn’t just a cross to bear – it can be fuel for greater impact.
It pushes us to be more thoughtful, more considerate, and more strategic in our actions. It reminds us that our decisions matter and that people are counting on us to get it right.
So, to all the leaders out there feeling the pressure: embrace it. Let it drive you to excellence. Let it remind you of the trust others have placed in you and the opportunity you have to make a positive difference in the lives of those you lead.
We should never allow the seriousness of decisions to stifle our desire for growth and our willingness for risk. But we should always keep the impact to others in mind. That’s the burden we carry and the reason we will feel uneasy at times.
Remember, leadership isn’t only about achieving goals or hitting targets. It’s about the lives you touch along the way. When you feel that burden, know that you’re probably on the right path. Use it as fuel to lead with clear vision, wisdom, and empathy.
