Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way: The Truth About Leadership & Ownership

Leadership isn’t about titles. It’s not about power. It’s about earning respect, making tough decisions, and taking full ownership of your journey. In this episode of The Bearded Baldcast: A Wes Side Story, I break down what leadership really takes—the failures, the lessons, and the mindset shifts that separate great leaders from those who just hold a title.

I’ll share personal experiences from my time in the Marine Corps, working in prison operations in Iraq, and leading in high-stakes situations in Afghanistan, where bad leadership meant life-or-death consequences. I’ll also talk about how my time in retail and Disney leadership showed me that not every leader is a mentor and why mentorship only works if you take ownership of your own growth.

We’ll cover:
🔥 Why you have to follow before you can lead
🔥 How bad leadership can destroy a team
🔥 The power of calculated decision-making under pressure
🔥 My leadership mantra: ‘Teach, Don’t Task’
🔥 Why no one owes you anything on your leadership journey

If you want to lead, you have to earn it. This episode will challenge you, push you, and maybe even piss you off—but it will make you better. Tune in, take notes, and start owning your leadership journey today.