When leaders have to make tough decisions they are not always popular. Most often popularity wanes when a leader makes a tough call. So if you are a leader, you must look at situations through a different lens other than popularity. Too many times leaders are too worried about people liking them or making decisions based on majority rules.
But here's the thing--a leader is also a shepherd who has been entrusted to move people to better pastures. This often is very unpopular, because people (and sheep) don't always want to move. Leaders must be courageous and cast a vision of better pastures, define reality for the present and then move.
Are you more concerned with popularity or doing the right thing and being courageous as a leader to move people to better pastures and growth?