The May 6, 2013, Crash Course lecture “The Crucible of Leadership” with Jerry Colonna at CU’s Silicon Flatirons Center was memorable for everyone in attendance. Jerry Colonna is a successful venture capitalist and executive coach who has coached some amazing entrepreneurs and CEOs on how to use what he calls "The Crucible of Leadership" to become the leader you were meant to be. (He blogs at www.themonsterinyourhead.com and tweets @jerrycolonna.)
The talk revolved around the stresses of being a CEO, and what it takes to be in that role of leadership. “The startup life is intense and intensely personal experience,” he said. And for him startups are the perfect crucible: an opportunity to know thy mettle in the heat of it all. Traditionally, a crucible is what an alchemist would use to turn lead into gold. For those in the startup life, he believes “it’s where the magic happens.”