A hero's journey from writer, to editor, to leader

I started my journey as a writer. But becoming a good writer is not, as I thought back in 2017, an individual task. I'm not the only one responsible for the outcome of my writing.

Article by article, interviews, reports, profiles, news and guides. Sales copy, email copy, brand awareness copy. None of this would have come to its best shape without the sharp eyes of the best editors.

The love-hate relationship with your editor

How underrated (and sometimes hated) is the presence of a leader in a writers' room!

My greatest editors, whom I can count on one hand, had at the same time my worst anguish and greatest admiration.

This is because they were able to generate immense growth in me—and let's be honest, growing up hurts.

That wasn't just because they had good editing skills. They were great people and brilliant writers, and they became better leaders as we worked together.

if you're reading this and were once my editor, you know who you are, love you, thank you.

The other side's pains

Now, I'm at a place in my life where I am wearing the editor's shoes. I lead and guide more often than I create and write, so I often find myself thinking about my former editors.

How would they look at it? What would they do? How similar am I to them? How similar do I want to be?

Regardless of how talented and hardworking a person is, we're not likely to get very far on our own - whether we're just following, or leading.

Teamwork makes the dream work

I'm trying to be very demure, very mindful of this dynamic in order to drive optimal results in the content my team produces.

Clear communication and goals in common will help us cooperate toward success.

I know this journey is far from over, and I'm far from a perfect leader, but I'm eager to get to it.