Everyone claims they want to be a leader in their field, but very few are actually willing to lead. Leading is frightening, rightfully so, because you have to trust yourself, as well as your team, to be willing to take risks—willing to fail if need be, and to treat failure like the learning experience it can be.
Being in the lead means you are not following anyone, which sounds great until you realize you’re all alone and you don’t know where you are going. That’s why so few are willing to forge new paths in uncharted territory, there are no taillights to follow.
That’s a frightening proposition on a good day, during prosperous times. What about now, when there seem to be dangers everywhere? How do you proceed then?