Too much unnecessary softening done, it's a man, no need to soften the skin.
The softening makes the ear look alien, and having the ear very bright makes it a distraction.
The deep shadow originating from the nose is also making things worse.
You should've brought your speedlight a little more to the left, and used a reflector ( white or black depending on what you want to achieve, a softly lit left side or a lightly soft shadow on the left side ).
Too much unnecessary softening done, it's a man, no need to soften the skin.
The softening makes the ear look alien, and having the ear very bright makes it a distraction.
The deep shadow originating from the nose is also making things worse.
You should've brought your speedlight a little more to the left, and used a reflector ( white or black depending on what you want to achieve, a softly lit left side or a lightly soft shadow on the left side ).