In a recent LinkedIn post, Alex Hormozi discusses a common phenomenon business leaders and high achievers encounter: the diminishing support and increasing quiet from those around them as they approach significant success. Hormozi posits that this shift isn’t necessarily born of malice, but rather a form of self-preservation from observers who are uncomfortable with being measured against the high achiever’s progress.
As Alex Hormozi notes:
People clap when you start. They go quiet when you get close.
The Ceiling of Support
Hormozi argues that the support network most individuals have tends to have a natural limit, often set at the observer’s own level of achievement or comfort. This “ceiling” is not a sign of active opposition, but rather an unconscious reaction to the discomfort that another’s rapid growth can induce.
According to Alex Hormozi:
Support has a ceiling and most people set it at their level. It’s not hate. It’s self-preservation. Your growth forces them to measure themselves. Most people don’t want that.
In Hormozi’s view, this dynamic highlights a crucial aspect of personal and professional development: the trade-off between widespread approval and extraordinary results. The very act of pursuing uncommon outcomes means diverging from the common path, and this divergence can alienate those who are content with the status quo.
The Trade-Off Between Likability and Achievement
Hormozi’s core message centers on the idea that aspiring for exceptional achievements requires a willingness to accept a potential loss of common approval. He suggests that slowing down to maintain the comfort and liking of others is a compromise that limits one’s potential for uncommon results.
Alex Hormozi points out the necessity of embracing this trade:
So don’t slow down to stay liked. Speed up and accept the trade. If you want uncommon results, you lose common approval.
This perspective challenges the conventional wisdom that widespread popularity is a prerequisite for success. Instead, Hormozi frames it as a potential impediment for those aiming for the highest echelons of achievement. The discomfort experienced by others when witnessing rapid growth is, in his analysis, a natural consequence of comparison, and it’s a hurdle that ambitious individuals must learn to navigate rather than avoid.
Navigating the Path to Uncommon Results
The insights shared by Alex Hormozi on LinkedIn offer a pragmatic, albeit potentially stark, view on the social dynamics accompanying significant personal growth. By reframing the quiet or waning support not as personal rejection but as a predictable outcome of comparison and self-preservation, Hormozi provides a framework for leaders to persevere.
In essence, Hormozi’s message is a call to embrace the journey towards uncommon results, understanding that the path may involve a recalibration of one’s social circle and a willingness to operate outside the bounds of common approval. The key, as he articulates, is to “speed up and accept the trade,” prioritizing the pursuit of ambitious goals over the universal desire to be liked.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Alex Hormozi on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on April 25, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →