Loving the Unseen Work of Leadership

“My lesson about becoming a leader is from the essayist Logan Pearsall Smith: ‘The test of a vocation is the love of the drudgery it involves.’”

Joseph Badaracco

John Shad Professor of Business Ethics at Harvard Business School

---

Written by: Luke Abernathy

Reflecting on a quote contributed by Joseph Badaracco for Lead Forward's Words To Lead By

Most people discover whether they truly want to lead when the interesting parts are over. The meeting ends. The applause fades. What remains are follow-up messages, half-finished plans, and problems no one else is eager to handle.

Badaracco’s point is not that leaders should enjoy boredom. It is that real commitment that shows up in your willingness to handle the necessary but uncelebrated work. Anyone can lead when the task is exciting. Fewer people continue when leadership becomes repetitive and inconvenient.

This idea shapes daily decisions for young leaders. Do you answer the same question for the fifth time without showing frustration? Do you reread a document carefully when it would be easier to skim? Do you follow up with someone who missed a deadline instead of just fixing it yourself?

These moments rarely feel important. But they are where trust is built.

If you only love leadership when it feels meaningful or visible, it may be a role you enjoy, not a responsibility you are ready to carry. Loving the drudgery means respecting the work enough to do it well, even when no one is watching. That is how leadership lasts.