Managing is Easy. Leading is What Hurts.

Authors Note: This piece was originally published on my Medium account @jdyerwrites. I have since grown tired of that platform and am moving my writing solely back to Bear. At a recent speaking event, I participated on a panel with fellow library directors discussing skills for new leaders. During the question-and-answer portion, an attendee asked, “How do you know when you’re ready to be in a leadership role?” I immediately grabbed the microphone and said, “You don’t.” Years into this leadership thing, I still struggle with imposter syndrome. Despite the years of success as a librarian, earning a master’s degree, and becoming a public library director, I still feel self-doubt. That self-doubt, coupled with the nagging fear that someone will eventually expose me as the fraud I think I am, isn’t easy to sit with, but those feelings keep me humble. I expect imposter syndrome will be with me until the end, but I’m beginning to think that may not be a bad thing. Managing feels “easy”…

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