Navigating Leadership: A Journey of Curiosity & Growth
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What I Wish More People Understood About the Experience of Becoming a Leader
We often remind our clients that leadership is a continual process of becoming. Yet so often, leaders are led to believe they should already “have it all figured out.” The truth is, becoming a leader is rarely a straight line. It’s a winding path of experimentation.
Our coach, Penny Koch-Patterson, put it beautifully in a recent HLG writing group reflection. Here’s her story—and a leadership practice you can use to deepen your own process of becoming.
“Becoming anything takes time. It’s not always clear where you’re headed until you look back and see how the dots connect.
When I was in third grade, I wanted to become a scientist. I set up a makeshift lab in the basement—complete with a microscope, test tubes, and an insect board I had proudly filled and pinned myself. I was endlessly curious. I experimented with chemicals and created mixtures just to see what would happen. I wanted to understand how things worked.
That all came to an abrupt end the day I accidentally started a fire using my candle-as-Bunsen-burner setup. My days as a “scientist” were over—at least according to my parents.
But in many ways, I never stopped experimenting. Forty years later, I’m still a scientist of sorts—a scientist of people. I’m still curious. I still ask questions. I test ideas and observe outcomes. And in my work as a leader and coach, I’m still learning what supports people, what doesn't, and how to help others thrive at work.
My path has twisted through classrooms, nonprofits, tech startups, and healthcare systems. It has included roles as teacher, student, manager, and coach. And through it all, I’ve realized this: becoming a leader isn’t a title or a finish line. It’s a way of engaging with the world—curious, courageous, and constantly evolving.
I wish more people understood that there’s no one “right” way to lead. It’s messy. Sometimes things fall apart. Sometimes you start a fire. But in the ashes, there’s always something to learn—something new to try.”
A Practice for Your Own Journey of Becoming
Learning through reflection is pivotal. Here’s a simple practice to help you pause and take stock of your own path:
Reflect:
When did you first feel the desire to lead?
What “experiments” have shaped your leadership so far, successful or not?
What unexpected turns taught you something valuable?
Reframe:
Is there a moment you once saw as a failure that now feels like a pivot point?
How might you embrace curiosity again in a current leadership challenge?
Recommit:
What’s one small experiment you’re willing to try this week in your leadership?
What does becoming look like for you now?
There’s no perfect map. But there is a way forward—one step, one question, one experiment at a time.
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