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.