How do you learn the basic facts of leadership? They've got to be written down somewhere, right? Sure, they are. There are literally thousands of books dedicated to the subject. If one was so motivated (and if you ever are, you might be crazy), they could probably read most of these books cover to cover and memorize every thing in it. They could have the word-for-word answer for any problem imaginable. However, ask them to implement these facts into actions, and you may well get a blank stare, if they don't botch it their first time out. Wait, what's up with that? They know how to do it, so why don't - or can't - they do it? The answer is quite simple. They're book smart, not street smart. Okay, bad cliché, but the point is clear: leadership is not something you can study for and pass and expect to get by on; it takes practice over a long period of time to perfect.

Think back to the first time you had to command a flight on a drill pad. You've done the drill and you know the commands, but you were still a bit hesitant. Why? It was probably because you've never done it before. As you did it more and more often, however, you became more confident, and got better at it, too. After a time, it was second nature. The same holds true for any other aspect of leadership. Thinking on your feet, for example, and properly applying the knowledge you've learned, takes time to master. You figure out that not every variable can be accounted for, and that overriding objectives take precedence over the smaller ones. You also learn what the most important objectives are, and those that are not as important. With practice, you can make snap decisions that are, on the whole, correct. Every facet of leadership works in this fashion, in that experience leads to a better ability to lead.

Notice, however, that after the initial study of the principle, for both drill instruction and quick decision-making, that all your education came from actual practice. This is because leadership is an art form, much like painting or playing an instrument, which takes time and experience to properly use and apply. So, what does that mean? A person can read and study all they want, but if there is no practice to back up the study, they will never be able to lead. For each individual, the process of taking book knowledge and applying it to life is different.

Thus, there is no way for anyone to guide a person from a level of no experience to being a great leader of men. Direct mentoring can only go so far. Each person's leadership style, which is heavily dependent on their personality, is different, and there is no secret ‘golden path' that will get you to the peak of your leadership potential. Just like finding one's karma, a person has to strike out on their own to figure out just exactly how to lead. This is not to say that you can't get important leadership lessons from written, or other, sources. In fact, the more one reads on the subject, the better. The point is that you, and only you, can find out just how to attain a certain objective with your methods. Though this will require a lot of hard work, and more than enough setbacks, the end result is something not everyone can achieve, the ability to lead anyone to achieve any end, no matter the odds that are stacked against you.

Hey, if leadership was easy, anybody could do it. Eh?