Michael Olise Got Me Thinking. Perhaps I Care Too Much About What Others Think

First, it was Harry Kane who inspired me to reflect on parenting. Now, it's Michael Olise who's got me thinking about work and, well, myself. Haha.

I've been rather amused by the attention surrounding Olise lately, particularly his nonchalant attitude towards interviews, publicity and marketing.

In September 2026, his remarkably brief post-match interview went viral. When asked how he scored such brilliant goals, he essentially replied that he shoots and the ball either goes in or doesn't.

Hahaha!

Here's a footballer who seems perfectly comfortable being himself. He doesn't appear particularly interested in impressing anyone or explaining himself more than necessary.

Of course, being a professional footballer comes with responsibilities beyond playing football. I believe he understands that, and from what I've read, his club and he are working towards fulfilling those expectations.

But what I find refreshing is that he doesn't seem to feel the need to completely change his personality just to fit everyone's expectations.

And that got me thinking.

The Uncomfortable Part of Being in Management

Recently, I've had to make some difficult decisions and initiate uncomfortable conversations at work. I've always believed that trust comes from consistency, accountability and demonstrated behaviour. I also believe people deserve opportunities to learn, improve and prove themselves. I blogged about my experience here: Competence, Likeability and Trust Are Three Different Things.

But I'd be lying if I said I never questioned myself afterwards.

Did I handle that correctly? Was I too harsh? Did I ruffle a few feathers unnecessarily? What if my judgement was wrong? I spoke about my reactions on my LinkedIn post.

I got to say that I've started seeing some encouraging changes. Yet, even with these positive developments, I sometimes find myself revisiting those uncomfortable conversations and wondering whether I could have done things differently.

Maybe I Care Too Much About What Others Think

Perhaps that's why Olise fascinates me.

Not because I want to become indifferent to what people think. I still care about how my decisions affect others, and I certainly don't believe that having good intentions automatically makes every decision right.

But I'm beginning to realise that I don't need to constantly justify myself or seek reassurance that everyone agrees with my approach.

I can be firm and still be fair. I can trust my judgement and still be open to being wrong. I can acknowledge where I need to improve without feeling that I have to change who I am entirely.

And perhaps I can learn to be a little more comfortable with the possibility that not everyone will understand or agree with me.