Of the few things I know, I know I was born a leader.
My young life has consisted of little else than a determined search to fulfill an unremitting drive so ingrained in my soul—the innate calling of a leader within. As desperate and diverse as this search has been, it was not until I began to emulate the very characteristics of what I now call THE QUIET LEADER that I began to understand a unique, subtle and unconventional form of highly influential leadership.
Writing Background
I have been writing on the subjects of leadership, politics and personal excellence since 2003. My publishing experiences have spanned four self-run political and self-help websites, currently including DaveUrsillo.com and TheQuietLeader.com; dozens of guest pieces written for websites and blogs; regional newspapers; as former editor-in-chief of the College of the Holy Cross newspaper, The Crusader; and forthcoming book Chicken Soup for the Soul: Thanks Dad.
Who is the “Renegade of Written Word”?
I call my writer side the “Renegade of Written Word.” Mostly a marketing and self-branding strategy, I use the slogan as a tool and self-reminder that my writing should be distinct, unique, bold and ambitious, in order to better stand out among millions of other (often more talented) writers. Above all else, the title serves as a reminder that my writing should challenge the status quo, convention and truly seek to shatter barriers of the mind.
Why do I write?
I write as a personal journey of exploration. Because of the subjects I write about and my personal writing style, critics contend that I’m a “know-it-all trying to explain the world to everyone else who doesn’t get it.”To the contrary, I write as a part of a lifelong journey to explore all that I realize I do not know, and may never fully comprehend. My writing is less an explanation, and more an exploration of humanity, the ways of the world, and our collective and individual purposes in life.
Birth of THE QUIET LEADER
One night when I was living in Washington D.C., I suffered from a terrible bout of insomnia. Unemployed and struggling to find a job amid the recession, I incessantly worried about my career path and my general direction in life. I knew in my heart I was a leader, but was not content with any career field that I had experienced to date in which I could be the best, most effective and most influential leader possible.
And so, I sat under the dark sky and wrote in my journal. I was growing tired and frustrated with my erratic pursuit of careers in traditional fields of leadership. As I divulged a stream of consciousness to pen and paper, I questioned whether it was possible to be a leader without followers. It would seem a contradiction because by any definition, a leader is one who leads someone or some group, to some ultimate end. Then, I recall asking, “Perhaps, if we redefine our notion of leadership.” And so, THE QUIET LEADER was born.
Indeed, it was not until I began to emulate the characteristics of THE QUIET LEADER —long before I realized it, or even uttered the phrase—that I began to understand the influence of real, honest leadership. Now, after fostering the philosophy of THE QUIET LEADER for years, I understand that leadership has the unique ability to take subtle form, yet produce highly influential and positive results. As I have lived it, I know it is a wholesome philosophy that will be widely received by a reading audience. It is a philosophy that I am intent on sharing with others.
Current status of THE QUIET LEADER
THE QUIET LEADER currently stands completed in nonfiction book proposal format. I am courting literary agents to represent me and this work as I pursue it’s publication. I have begun to write the core of the manuscript, while simultaneously reaching out to contacts, friends, and family, in order to gather pertinent anecdotes, stories, and interviews with real life quiet leaders that will supplement the manuscript when it is completed.
Mission Statement
A true writer does not write to exclusively convey his/her own thoughts and beliefs. A true writer uses one’s gift of word to open realms of thought and feeling in a reader’s mind that might otherwise remain untapped. Written word is a powerful tool and an art form, and one that beckons great responsibility.
Insofar as this is but one step on my own Path of Life, I intend to use my words through this technological medium to fulfill the inner-calling of a leader, to reach out across physical borders and barriers of the mind, and to enrich the lives of others.
