Business By Hormozi #279: The Power of Being Disliked: How Willingness to Be Disliked Can Propel You to Success

The Uncomfortable Truth About Success

When Sarah launched her new business, she had one goal in mind: create something meaningful. But that goal came with a cost she wasn’t expecting—being disliked.

At the beginning, Sarah had an amazing team that worked hard. But soon, the decisions she needed to make started to clash with what everyone else thought was the right way. Her team wanted to play it safe, take the easy route, and stick to what was familiar.

But Sarah knew that for her business to grow, she had to do things differently. She had to be willing to be disliked by those closest to her. It wasn’t about being a dictator; it was about doing what was necessary for the long-term success of the business.

So, she made the tough call. She went with her gut, even if it meant disrupting comfort and challenging the familiar paths her team was used to.

“I hate making decisions like this,” she thought, “but if I want to get to the top, I have to face the truth—I’ve got to be willing to be disliked.”

Facing the Fear of Dislike

The very next day, Sarah felt the weight of her decision. People in her circle weren’t happy. There were uncomfortable conversations, passive-aggressive remarks, and even some awkward silences.

But here’s the thing Sarah learned that changed everything: success never comes from playing it safe. If she kept letting others’ opinions dictate her actions, her business would be stuck in neutral forever.

“People aren’t going to like every decision I make, but that’s okay,” Sarah told herself. “Being willing to be disliked is exactly what will allow me to get where I want to go. The faster I accept this, the faster I can start moving forward.”

The Breakthrough Moment

A few months later, after she had made more bold decisions—each one more uncomfortable than the last—Sarah noticed something incredible. Her business was thriving. The changes were paying off.

But more importantly, Sarah herself was growing in ways she never expected. Her confidence soared, her leadership skills sharpened, and her understanding of what it truly took to succeed was clearer than ever.

She realized that being disliked wasn’t a personal failure—it was the price of growth. Sarah had finally accepted that if she wasn’t willing to be disliked, she was never going to be able to lead her business to where she wanted it to go.

Why the Unpopular Path Leads to Success

As Sarah continued on her journey, she became known as the woman who made tough decisions, even when everyone else was too scared to make them. And guess what? More people started to respect her for it.

Her business grew, but more importantly, Sarah’s courage to stand by her beliefs attracted the right kind of people—people who also valued doing what was right, not what was easy.

Willing to be disliked? That’s exactly what pushed Sarah toward the kind of success most people only dream about.

Moral: "The faster you can get comfortable being disliked, the faster you’ll get where you want to go."