Maybe this wasn’t the first time I knew I was a leader, but it was the first time that the repercussions of being a leader sunk in.

I was 18. In a moment of vulnerability, I was telling a respected family friend about how alone I felt in life. While everyone else seemed to have persons to journey along side them, friends that really understood them, I was a magnate for trainees, rookies, and hopeful apprentices. Despite starting relationships with the intention of mutual friendship, they naturally rolled into me as coach.

I was tired of it. But this lament was met with an unexpected response that has changed my perspective on leadership: “Yeah, doesn’t being a leader suck?!” It felt like there was an feeling of ‘maybe you should quit.’