This thread makes me wonder how much your 1st lead and who teach's you sets the scene for all the rest, any thoughts?
Before my uncle gave me the how to and maybe more importantly the how not to lead on the ogan pipes finest, I rambled up some NT 1st ascent with my Dad holding a static rope that I occasionally clipped to one of my 4 nuts. Having seen it all in a book it just seemed like that was what you did. After that and armed with even more know how it always seemed like things would turn out ok.