In 2019, after ten years working in tech, I find myself a leader, which is just a word used to describe people who hold senior positions at companies.
I’ve never liked this word: leader. It’s one of those weak descriptors, like happy, that turns out to mean very little when placed under a bit of scrutiny. After all, isn’t leadership really just the sum of other, more meaningful and stronger qualities, not a quality in and of itself?
Early in my career, as I moved between various startup gigs, entry-level positions, contract roles and the like, I found myself questioning its application.
Why, I wondered, do so many people call themselves leaders on LinkedIn? What kind’ve person dares to claim this title for themselves? How can leadership be a rank? Aren’t leaders just bosses? Why do we assume bosses lead? I could go on and on…
But that’s what this place is for — to chew on these questions, to ask more, to write about this journey when the time allows.
All for now…
— YTL