By this point in life, we know that with great privilege comes great responsibility. However, I have found myself re-learning this lesson over and over again several times. This year, I am on several different leadership teams and I have quite a bit on my plate. Yet, I noticed the other day that I was feeling quite sensitive and wondered why. As I reflected, I remembered how hard leadership can be. Often, we romanticize the role of leaders, thinking only of the privileges that leaders get. Yet, we forget how vulnerable it makes a person to put oneself out there. Anytime we take a stand for anything or lead anything, we open ourselves up for criticism. Here’s some of those struggles that come with being a leader.

1. Suddenly, everyone has an opinion on your decisions.

This is surprising to you, because no one ever said anything to you before. But, once your decisions affect others, you will get feedback. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad, and sometimes it’s just plain weird. You may become sensitive, because you weren’t used to this feedback before.

2. People will talk behind your back.

This is another thing that happens anytime you make yourself known. Anytime you put yourself up to lead others, offer advice, or take a stand, you open yourself up to criticism. And the harsh reality is that you won’t always receive the criticism to your face. Instead, you may be gossiped about.

3. You find out that not everyone likes you.

I mean, just look at the political candidates and how much hate they deal with. Leaders will just simply not be liked by everyone. The important thing to realize in this situation is that everyone is coming at their viewpoint due to the circumstances they grew up with. Don’t take it personally.

4. You will feel inadequate.

Because you will not always feel qualified to make decisions, you will end up feeling inadequate in your leadership. Remember that you were put in this position for a reason. Whether it was a majority vote or an appointment, there are people that believe in you.

5. You will fail and your failures are broadcasted.

Failure in itself is terrible. No one likes to mess up. But, when you fail in a leadership role, it feels magnified by 100 times. This can be a major ego-hit, but it’s even more of a learning experience when you can pick yourself up and learn from your failures.

6. You find out you can’t please everyone.

As a leader, you must rely on your own instinct and the voice of the majority to make many of your decisions. Sometimes you won’t even be pleased with your own decisions, but making tough decisions is one of the best ways to serve as a leader.

7. You will let people down.

Even though no one will say it, there is an expectation that is built in people’s heads of who you should be. The sooner you realize that you can’t be powered by others’ view of who you should be, the more you will thrive in your leadership role.

8. You won’t accomplish everything you want to.

This ties in with my earlier point. You will let yourself down at some point because you also have a set of expectations for yourself. When this happens, be kind to yourself and focus on the things that you have done well.

9. You learn your weaknesses.

This is probably one of my favorite parts about leadership. I’ve learned the things that I don’t do well, and this is motivation for me to improve on myself. But, it’s also shown me the power of teamwork in leadership, because it shows me how much I need other people to lean on. We all are weak in some areas and can rely on others’ strengths for these areas.

10. You will be humbled.

Leadership is one of the most humbling things you can do for yourself, if you approach it in the right way. If you open yourself up to the opportunity, you will learn how small you are and it can be a really humbling experience.

Overall, there’s a ton of hard lessons to be learned when you’re involved in leadership. But approach your role with the right mindset, and you will grow and thrive. I’m speaking to myself above all else as I write this, because these are lessons I continue have to remind and re-learn myself.