From Apprentice to Leader: How to Show Up as a Leader Without Formal Authority with Leon Simmons
Tradies Who LeadShow Notes
You don’t need a title to lead. You just need to take more responsibility — and Leon backed that belief by walking away from job security to start again on the tools.
Leon Simmons is a 4th-year electrical apprentice in Melbourne who left high pay and security to chase a new career in the trade. He documents life as a mature-aged apprentice and turned it into a community of tradies.
In this conversation, we get into: • How to lead without any formal authority or rank • Why responsibility is a mindset, not a position • What good mentoring looks like onsite • How sharing your story can build a community around you
Chapters: 0:00 Meet Leon Simmons 2:04 Leading as an Apprentice 3:56 Transferable Leadership Skills 5:46 Taking More Responsibility 7:24 Understanding the Big Picture 9:17 Challenges of Mature-Aged Apprenticeships 10:50 What Great Mentorship Looks Like 15:19 Managing Confidence after Criticism 16:42 Showing Up Online as an Apprentice 20:10 Trade Online Community 21:42 Be Nice to Lead Better 22:50 Wrap Up
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If you want to connect with Leon, you can follow him on Instagram at @sparky_simmons OR https://www.instagram.com/sparky_simmons
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