USA Today’s Matt Hayes has picked the Georgia Bulldogs No. 2 seed overall in the 2025/2026 College Football Playoff bracket. Part of the reason for that designation is the leadership of Kirby Smart, who won the national championships in 2021 and 2022 with the Bulldogs.
Smart recently laid out the three things leaders must be aware of and how the costs can have far-reaching consequences.
Kirby Smart Details the Downside of Leadership
“You will have to make hard decisions that negatively impact people you care about,” Smart said in a speech on the subject.
COST ASSOCIATED WITH LEADERSHIP
“Have to make hard decisions that’ll negatively affect people you care about…
Be disliked despite your best attempt to do the best for the most…
Be misunderstood and not always have the opportunity to defend yourself.”
~ Kirby Smart pic.twitter.com/wp9IeeqyTS
— Jamy Bechler (@CoachBechler) February 12, 2025
While leadership is often glamorized or seen as a source of inspiration and power, it also involves tough choices, including sacrifice and a ruthless commitment that will hurt feelings and affect people you care about.
Smart says these tough choices should always be navigated with empathy and that the team is paramount to everything.
“You will be disliked despite your best attempts to do the best for the most,” Smart continued.
Smart says that we will not win everyone over despite our best efforts, so it’s always best to work with the people whose opinions we value.
“You will be misunderstood and won’t always have the opportunity to defend yourself,” Smart concluded.
The Georgia Bulldogs coach says leaders don’t dodge adversity or move away from criticism but will face those challenges and continue their journey.
When decisions do not go as planned, Smart critics will emerge, telling us that we should change our course because we are wrong.
KEEP READING: 2025 Way-Too-Early College Football Top 25 Power Rankings
Skeptics and critics are not to be convinced or persuaded. The way to evaluate our performance and course of action is to have a trusted circle of truth-tellers who give feedback and objectively tell us the truth about our performance.
Leadership can be a lonely, tough place to be. But rather than shrink from the challenges that are presented to us, it’s important to face those challenges head-on.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in football, basketball, and more!
