“Born leader?” Man, I never really saw myself that way, not for a long, long time. But then again, I’ve always been the one. The one who ends up taking charge, without really meaning to. The one who’s always making sure everything is just right, double-checking, sometimes triple-checking, until it’s absolutely solid. I guess that’s just how my brain works, how I operate. Maybe it’s a Virgo thing, who knows? All I know is, looking back at my career, from the very first gig to where I am now, there’s a pattern.
My first proper job out of school, I started off as just a regular grunt, you know, entry-level stuff. My task was simple: process data, make sure numbers matched up. Pretty straightforward, or so I thought. But within a few weeks, I started noticing all these little inconsistencies. Typos in reports, figures that didn’t quite add up, processes that just felt… clunky. I couldn’t help myself. I started making notes. Little scribbles in a pad, then bigger lists on my computer. I wasn’t trying to be a smarty-pants, I just genuinely wanted to fix it. It bothered me, truly, to see things not running smoothly.
I remember one time, there was this big project, a client report due, and everyone was scrambling. The main guy in charge was totally swamped, missing deadlines. I just sat there, meticulously going through all the data, cross-referencing everything. I didn’t ask for permission, I just did it. I found a bunch of small errors that would have made the whole report unreliable. When I showed my boss, he was surprised. He didn’t chew me out for overstepping; he actually said, “Good catch. Keep an eye on things.” That was the first inkling for me. I didn’t see it as leadership; I saw it as just doing my job right, making sure the details were handled.
Stepping Up, Sometimes Unwillingly
As time went on, this pattern repeated itself. I’d start in a role, usually a support or detail-oriented one. And then, slowly but surely, I’d find myself correcting procedures, streamlining workflows, or just being the go-to person when someone needed something organized and done right. People would just start coming to me for advice, for solutions. I remember one project where the whole team was just stuck. We had a timeline, but nobody could figure out how to break down the tasks efficiently. I went home that weekend, literally just scribbled down a step-by-step plan, with contingencies and everything. On Monday, I brought it in, almost sheepishly. Told them, “Hey, maybe this could help?” The next thing I knew, that plan became the blueprint, and I was somehow leading the daily stand-ups.
It wasn’t always smooth sailing, though. Being so focused on getting things perfect can be a real pain, both for me and sometimes for others. I’ve definitely been accused of being too critical, too nitpicky. I’d see a flaw, and my brain would immediately try to fix it, sometimes before even acknowledging the good stuff. Learning to temper that, to give constructive feedback instead of just pointing out what’s wrong, that took a lot of work. I had to learn to step back and let others try, even if their way wasn’t my “perfect” way. That was tough. Really tough.
But that drive for precision, that urge to make things work better, it also became my strength. When there was a mess, I could dive into it and untangle it. When a project felt too big and overwhelming, I could break it down into manageable chunks. People started trusting me to deliver, to organize, to think ahead and catch problems before they blew up. I became the person who could see the entire picture, down to the tiniest brushstroke, and then figure out how to paint it right.
Leading By Doing, Not Just Talking
I realized that for me, leadership wasn’t about big speeches or being the loudest voice in the room. It was about being reliable, being prepared, and showing others how to get things done by actually doing it alongside them, or even setting the path for them. It was about foreseeing issues and having a plan B, C, and D. It was about making sure the tools were sharp, the processes were clear, and the environment was organized so everyone could perform their best. It was about serving the goal, serving the team, by making sure the fundamentals were always rock solid.
So, “born leader”? I don’t know if anyone is truly “born” a leader in the traditional sense. But I do think some of us are wired a certain way. For me, that Virgo wiring – that need for order, that analytical mind, that drive for efficiency and a job well done – it naturally pushed me into positions where I ended up leading. Maybe not with a grand title from day one, but certainly by influencing, by organizing, and by consistently delivering. It was less about wanting to be in charge, and more about wanting things to be right. And often, getting things right meant taking the lead, one detail at a time.
