Fellow Microsoft MVP Amy Dolzine wrote a great post about the intense yet fulfilling struggle that community managers experience every day, and that because of this:

“There is nothing more fulfilling than knowing you’re making a difference in large and small ways every single day.”

I agree.

What does this have to do with leadership? Everything!

When he’s done yawning–excuse me, roaring–he’ll get back to leading.

Thanks to Amy, I now know this excerpt from The Good Struggle, which speaks to me quite strongly about how community management IS leadership:

1. Am I really grappling with the fundamentals?
2.  What am I accountable for?
3. How do I make critical decisions?
4. Do we have the right core values?
5. Why have I chosen this life?

The first four questions are essential for creating, shaping, and nurturing a community.

The fifth question helps you know for sure if you’ve got the fire inside that keeps you wanting to do it!

Read Amy’s take on the fundamentals, and let me know if you feel a real sense of leadership when you do your job.