Is being the leader tough? Not in the mind of a 24-year old.
I had a fancy MBA, a great CV, many ideas and loads of passion. Now I was a leader. I was all set.
Or so I thought.
I had no idea what was coming. Nothing in my MBA-MNC background had prepared me to lead a diverse team with people older, more experienced and qualified than me.
The first months were painful. Mistakes were made, tears shed. Life seemed like a downhill journey in fast forward. Except for one thing. The learning.
Concepts like stretch, moving out of my comfort zone, challenging my beliefs, became real. Being a leader felt less romantic. I was working harder than I ever had.
I have come a long way since then.
I have learned that leadership is not about me, it’s about everyone else. It is not defined by traits, but by actions. It is less power and more responsibility. It is lonely and unrelenting in its demands. .
And the learning is not simple and linear like in our textbooks. It’s messy and challenging.
After so many years, have I finally arrived? Probably not.
Because leadership is not a title or a destination. It’s a journey that starts every day.
