A Leader Is Born

I used to think I was a pretty helpless case.  Watching movies, sometimes I get jealous of the main character or hero or his courage and how he brings his vision to reality.  On the other end of the tube I’d feel weak and foolish imagining myself pushing through the same obstacles.  I never thought I was adequate.

My eyes have been opened to a truth I never thought I would stumble upon.  For so long I had been the follower, just a kid, someone who would find consolation in the shadow of the leader and letting someone else take control.  Over the past couple of weeks I have been seeing a different side of me.  I am surprise, but also am very thrilled to say that I am a leader.

In my interview process of becoming a 40/40 I confess that one of the subjects I was most uncomfortable talking about was my leadership abilities.  I never took on leadership roles in high school or in college.  The only example I could give them of my leadership was a paper that I had to write with two other people my senior year at MVNU (how I delegated power, assumed the leader position etc.).  I think a large part of not considering myself a leader was how I viewed myself.

Since being in Peru I have found myself forced into leadership positions.  During Love Extreme I was thrown into situations having to direct people about the city of Arequipa that I myself had only been accustomed to maybe three weeks more that these short-termers.  One day I had accidentally taken four short-term missionaries out into the mountains about an hour and forty-five minutes away from out Headquarters.  Also, having a pretty decent grasp on Spanish I am often dragged into having to interpret for people. 

After seeing how capable I am of leading after being thrown into similar situations time and time again I’ve been awaken to the concept that I am a leader.  I’ve also noted this when I’m working with my partner.  There are things that I have to iron out in my leadership skills such as control.  I do like to have control and working with a partner is not about having control all the time.  I’ve been working on letting people have some control and not caring what they do with it, but making it their own. 

I am floored at how liberated I feel knowing that I’m a leader.  I feel like I could do anything.  There is nothing to be scared of.  I’m ready to take on about anything.