In school, we sometimes get group assignments. Someone always becomes the leader of the project group, and it’s usually me.
It’s always an organic process – there’s no election, or special “Boss” hat that I seize by force. But when the teacher says, “Team leaders, come to the fornt and sign up for demos”, everyone always looks at me.
The person who ends up as team leader is not the most charismatic, or the smartest, most hardworking student. The don’t have any special “leadership quality” that they’re born with or acquire through demonic pacts. They are just the person who has a clear vision, a sense of direction, and most important, the willingness to take responsibility for the project, whether it succeeds or fails.
That’s usually me. I don’t know how it happened – back in high school no one even invited me to join their project groups. I was the kid who ended up doing the essay option instead of working with a group. Something changed along the way, and I think it was when I gained a sense of direction. Now that I know what I want to do with myself, I’m very aggressive in pursuing my goals.
However, when it comes to space, it’s tougher. I want to get out there, I want to help other people get out there, I want to make money off it and at the same time I want to make everything as open-source and egalitarian as possible. My head is a mess of contradictions, and though my desire is strong, my vision is vague and muddled.
I’m looking for a strong leader – not a charismatic, clever person, but someone with a clear vision, and the willingness to take responsibility for success or failure. Eventually it might be me, but right now I’m looking for someone else.