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MOST MAGAZINE - ISSUE 8065MOSTMAGAZINEChris %u201cBulldog%u201d Collins doesn%u2019t fit neatly into any box. But he knows it%u2014and he%u2019s fine with that. %u201cA lot of times people will meet me and%u2026 I confuse them,%u201d Collins says. %u201cThey will come up to me at a party or in public and they%u2019ll say, %u2018Hey I know you%u2019re a famous artist, but I can%u2019t place you.%u2019 And then they%u2019ll pause and wait for me to respond. And I say, %u2018Actually I%u2019m not a famous artist. I fix businesses.%u2019 And they don%u2019t get it. They%u2019re like, %u2018If you fix businesses, shouldn%u2019t you be in a tie?%u2019 Well, ends up fixing businesses requires a lot of creativity. Right? If I did things just like everybody else, I would get results just like everybody else.%u201d This mindset of blending creativity with strategy, and of refusing to follow tired formulas, is at the heart of I Am Leader, Collins%u2019 latest book and a striking departure from traditional leadership manuals. Rather than rehashing corporate clich%u00e9s, I Am Leader serves up a provocative and visually bold framework meant to disrupt conventional leadership thinking. It%u2019s not content to simply inspire; it challenges. Collins%u2019 message is clear: real leadership starts with what%u2019s inside. Where many leadership texts lean on surface-level techniques or prescriptive systems, I Am Leader digs deeper%u2014into self-awareness, values, and the psychology of influence. For Collins, leadership isn%u2019t something you do as much as something you embody. At its core, his philosophy is powered by psychotechnology%u2014a collection of psychological tools and strategies (often fused with modern tech) that foster real-world results through behavioral change and internal alignment. The result is a playbook not for positional leaders, but for those who aim to lead with purpose, clarity, and lasting impact. I Am Leader speaks as much through its imagery as it does through its words. Both the standard and special editions are packed with arresting visuals that deliver the book%u2019s message in a visceral level. %u201cI wanted to do some special art editions of the book as well,%u201d says Collins. %u201cIt%u2019s a reminder. Like when I see %u2018Avoid Finality,%u2019 it%u2019s a reminder. When I see Churchill in a wedding dress, it%u2019s a reminder. It%u2019s meant to make you uncomfortable. It%u2019s meant to remind you that you need to challenge your biases and your prejudices.%u201cImagine being Winston Churchill and the war he was facing,%u201d he continues. %u201cAny leader can tell you that their journey requires difficult sacrifices for the bigger objective. Leadership isn%u2019t about immediate gratification or fitting in%u2014it%u2019s about seeing the bigger picture and aiming for the desired outcome no matter how uncomfortable or challenging the path may be. That%u2019s really what leadership is about.%u201d It%u2019s this exact willingness to push boundaries%u2014visually, intellectually, and professionally%u2014that has fueled Collins%u2019 career. As a strategist who%u2019s helped countless businesses pivot, scale, and thrive, he%u2019s also developed a deep curiosity about the human psyche and why so many modern leaders seem to fall short. That curiosity culminated in the creation of Syndicate X, a Los Angeles-based think tank and creative space that Collins describes as a %u201cLibrary of Leadership.%u201d Less of a business incubator and more of a high-voltage idea engine, Syndicate X serves as a haven for those ready to rethink and rewire the way they lead. Together, I Am Leader, Syndicate X, and Collins%u2019 decades of disruptive business success form a powerful trifecta: one rooted in clarity, authenticity, and transformation. With real-world insights and a refusal to play by outdated rules, Collins is building a new kind of leadership culture%u2014one where creative risk, bold thought, and personal growth aren%u2019t just valued, they%u2019re required. Because in his view, that%u2019s where true leadership begins.Chris CollinsChris %u201cBulldog%u201d Collins: Redefining Leadership Through Art, Innovation, and Inner Work