In a recent LinkedIn post, Emily Lyons explores the often-overlooked downsides of prioritizing being “nice” in business, arguing that a shift towards authenticity and directness can be a catalyst for significant growth and stronger relationships. Lyons, a business leader herself, challenges the conventional wisdom that niceness is always a professional asset, drawing from her own experiences to illustrate how it can lead to underpayment and overextension.
Lyons begins by recounting her past perception of niceness as a strength, stating:
“I used to think being nice was a strength. It made me easy to work with. Easy to like. Easy to say yes to.”
However, she quickly pivots to the negative consequences she experienced, noting that this approach resulted in her being “underpaid, overextended, and quietly resentful.” This personal reflection sets the stage for her broader argument about the detrimental effects of prioritizing likeability over effectiveness.
The Business Impact of Prioritizing Niceness
Lyons contends that the pursuit of being universally liked can actively hinder business development. She illustrates this by defining “nice” in a business context as actions that avoid necessary conflict or discomfort, such as:
- Taking on a client who is not a good fit.
- Avoiding difficult conversations with team members.
- Allowing issues to slide to prevent tension.
According to Lyons, while one can build *something* on this foundation, it is unlikely to be the business one truly desires. The critical turning point, she explains, was not a new strategy or personnel change, but a fundamental realization.
“The shift for me wasn’t a better strategy or a new hire. It was realizing that being liked in every room was costing me the business I was trying to build.”
This insight led Lyons to actively change her approach. She began to implement more direct and honest communication, even when it might create discomfort.
Embracing Directness for Cleaner Revenue and Stronger Teams
Lyons details the positive outcomes of her intentional shift away from constant niceness. By “saying no faster” and “having conversations earlier,” she found that her business operations became more streamlined and effective.
“Revenue got cleaner. The team got stronger. The right people stayed.”
This suggests that authenticity, even when challenging, fosters a more robust and aligned business environment. Lyons argues that true kindness in a professional setting is not about maintaining superficial peace but about delivering truth in a manner that promotes progress.
A Common Challenge for Female Entrepreneurs
A significant part of Lyons’s post is dedicated to identifying a pattern she observes, particularly among female entrepreneurs. She posits that many business challenges faced by these individuals are not fundamentally business problems, but rather a lingering “I’m still trying to be liked” problem.
Lyons elaborates on this, stating:
“I’ve found a lot of female entrepreneurs don’t hav a business problem. We have a ‘I’m still trying to be liked’ problem. And it shows up everywhere.”
This perspective suggests that societal conditioning around agreeableness, often reinforced for women, can manifest as a barrier to assertive decision-making and effective leadership in the business world. Lyons’s candid post serves as a call for introspection, encouraging entrepreneurs to evaluate whether their pursuit of likeability might be inadvertently sabotaging their long-term goals and the authentic vision for their ventures.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Emily Lyons on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on May 9, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →