The day I led, my partner knew what I needed from him and didn't push me nor let me slack off, the perfect combination. Having climbed Sentinal many times before I knew the route extremely well. That, coupled with its moderate level, gave me the confidence to lead it. To many, the excitement of leading is not knowing what's in store, the relief of finding the bomber holds or the perfect placements. That was all I needed to get myself off the ground.
Some people take to leading after only a few climbs or they even start out leading.
However I started out as a gym rat, having learned to climb in the middle of Illinois. Top-roping and occasional sport climbing was good enough for me for more than a few years. But over the past year or two I'd gotton an itching to try traditional leading. Unfortunately the timing never seemed right, and I ended up chickening out during the first few trys. My experience on top-ropes and sport climbs had led me up to this point where I finally felt like I was ready to go for it.