How do I stop needing my team to like me?

You want to be liked, and it has cost you. You softened feedback that needed to be clear, avoided decisions that needed making, and let things slide that you should have addressed. Somewhere along the way, being liked started to feel like the same thing as being good at leading. It is not. The truth is that a good leader is often not the most liked in the moment. They are the one who tells the truth kindly, holds the line, and makes the call others avoid. Teams may not love that on the day. But over time it earns them something better than being liked, which is being trusted. Trust outlasts approval every time. Start with one thing you have been avoiding because it might make someone unhappy. Say it, clearly and with care. You will feel the discomfort, and you will survive it. You are learning that you can be respected without being adored, and that this is the trade a leader has to make.