Leadership Is a Choice, Not a Title

You’ve Always Been Ready

I had the ~unfortunate privilege of growing up in a household with lawyer activists, my family in Colombia are civically engaged and the kind of people that encourage others in many areas. From my parents and grandma I learned about the law, economics and business administration; from my grandpa I learned english, art and film, from the many mentors and coaches I had the chance to practice sports, travel and present my work from an early age in conferences, TV interviews and organizations

Having grown up so early I was usually the youngest leader by far in many meetings, and while it was very frustrating to be unheard and in many cases proven right seeing their stubbornness leading them to failure; I noticed how many leaders have fallen in their positions by nepotism and how many very talented people wait on the sidelines for their turn to come 

In reality, leadership is not something granted by institutions, titles, or credentials. It is a decision to act, contribute, and take responsibility in moments where something needs to be done. This is very evident in artistic and creative circles, where do-ocracy overrides hierarchy, and similarly in aviation or risky environments, where if a person notices something their intuition must be heard to save lives 

The usual advice that has been given over the years was to avoid speaking up, going to school, graduating, waiting, we've known for years now that is useless and even much more so in some careers, where the industry is changing so fast many new job titles appear out of nowhere and other economic sectors disappear 

Becoming a leader, and being flexible, daring and courageous is not for standing out or bragging, it is unequivocally important to save our communities, neighborhoods and preserve our culture 

In reality, almost no real leadership moment in life comes with instructions or permission. When I started organizing student communities and tech events, there was no moment where I suddenly felt ready. I don't feel ready to be giving this talk, yet here we are 

Your perception of your readiness is usually challenged by the inspiration returned to you by the people you're helping 

Life Rewards Action, School systems reward correct answers, structured problems, and clear evaluation criteria. This creates the illusion that competence must come before action. And while I sincerely believe that formal education and structure is super important to learn, specially for advanced degrees, in the work environment and creative fields the instructions are made as you go 

The people who move first shape the outcome

Leadership is not one big moment, is a combination of many small invisible ones 

Sending the first email to organize a meeting. Booking a bar for a happy hour.  Starting a group chat. Showing up consistently.  Helping set up chairs at an event. Taking notes when no one else does. Leaving no trace after everyone leaves 

When I look at my own experience in student organizations, tech communities, and volunteering spaces, the moments that mattered were not dramatic. They were small acts of responsibility that accumulated over time

Identity forms after repeated behavior, you do not become a leader and then act like one 

The first time you organize something, you are organizing.  The first time you bring people together, you are leading.  The first time you solve a problem without being asked, you are a trailblazer 

Every community, whether it is a student club, a cultural group, a tech organization, or a volunteer space, is always incomplete. There is always something that is not being done yet. They're waiting for you

In this section we can include advice about finding communities to create chapters for, and how to find the gaps where your leadership exists 

ConclusionIf there is one idea I want the audience to leave with, it is this:

Leadership is not something you earn after you are ready. Leadership is what happens when you decide to act before you are ready

You do not need a diploma in leadership. You need a decision 

Start small. Show up. Do the work. And over time, you will realize you were never waiting to become a leader. You were only waiting to notice that you already had the chance to act like one

REFERENCES AND INSPIRATION

Caicedo, A. (1977). ¡Que viva la música!

Frankl, V. E. . Man's Search for Meaning. Beacon Press. (Original work published 1946)

Granovetter, M. S. (1973). "The Strength of Weak Ties." American Journal of Sociology

Galeano, E. (1997). Open veins of Latin America: Five centuries of the pillage of a continent (C. Belfrage, Trans.) 

Nachman of Breslov. (1810/1973). Likutey Moharan. Breslov Research Institute. (Various translations available.) 

de Botton, Alain. Religion for Atheists: A Non-Believer's Guide to the Uses of Religion. Vintage Books, 2012

Putnam, R. D. (2000). Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community. Simon & Schuster.

Perez, T. "C." (2020). Built to burn: Tales of the desert carnies of Burning Man. Burning Man Project

Burning Man Project. (n.d.). The Ten Principles of Burning Man. Retrieved from https://burningman.org/about/10-principles/