Leadership Collective

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16d •

Most people misunderstand leadership because they confuse position, personality, and intention with responsibility. Leadership is not: - Charisma - Rank or title - Years of experience - Being well liked - Having strong opinions Those things may coexist with leadership. They do not define it. Leadership begins at the moment you are responsible for a decision whose consequences affect others. If you do not own decisions, you are not leading—regardless of your role. The Core Misunderstanding Good intentions do not produce good outcomes. Experience does not equal judgment. Activity does not equal effectiveness. Organizations fail every day with smart, hardworking people because leadership behavior breaks down at the decision point—especially under pressure. What Leadership Actually Is Leadership is: - Making timely decisions with imperfect information - Accepting responsibility for outcomes you cannot fully control - Setting conditions where others can execute - Correcting reality when it drifts—not when it collapses Culture is downstream from leadership behavior. Performance follows decision quality. Why This Matters Here This Collective exists to improve how leaders: - Think about responsibility - Evaluate risk and tradeoffs - Decide when pressure, politics, or ambiguity are present If you want to discuss leadership as a concept, there are other places for that. If you want to improve how you operate as a leader, this is the work.

Scott Legg

2d •

General discussion

Are Leaders Born or Made?

This question comes up a lot. History gives us examples of people who seemed wired for leadership—natural presence, confidence, decisiveness. Those outliers exist. But they’re the exception, not the rule. Most effective leaders are cultivated. They’re taught. They’re coached. They’re corrected. They’re shaped by failure, accountability, and time under pressure. Leadership isn’t a personality trait—it’s a skill set built through repetition and standards. What usually gets mistaken for “born leadership” is early exposure: - Someone who was held to high expectations early - Someone who had mentors that didn’t lower the bar - Someone who learned consequences before comfort The real divide isn’t born vs. made. It’s intentional vs. accidental. People don’t drift into leadership. They either pursue it deliberately or they inherit authority without developing the skills—and the difference shows quickly. Questions for you: - Who actually shaped your leadership, whether they meant to or not? - What habits or standards were trained into you over time? - Where are you relying on instinct instead of development? Comment: Do you believe leadership can be taught—and if so, what’s one skill you had to learn the hard way?

New comment 2d ago

Scott Legg

4d •

General discussion

Leading Up Without Losing Your Spine

How do you tell a senior leader they’re wrong? If you've been in a leadership position, you have probably encountered this. If leadership—especially with peers—is best exercised by example, what does that look like when the person above you holds the authority? Leading up is not about confrontation or compliance. It’s about judgment, timing, and credibility. It’s about deciding when to speak, how to frame the issue, and whether your intent is to protect standards or protect yourself. Most leaders don’t fail because they stay silent once. They fail because silence becomes their default. Questions to consider before you comment: - When was the last time you disagreed with a senior leader—and what did you do? - Did you lead with facts and intent, or did you defer for comfort? - Are you building enough trust and competence to be heard when it actually matters? Comment: Where are you currently choosing compliance over leadership—and what’s the cost if you keep doing it?