Brave Enough to Lead by Adriana

Brave Enough to Lead by Adriana - December 2018 Scholarship Essay

The Nobel Prize is an award that is meant to honor people that are working to bring peace to the world. The world as a whole is beginning to be a difficult and ghastly political climate,and the way to remedy this is to promote the idea of harmony more than ever. There are so many people that can change the world and that should be nominated, but it is usually the people that have the strongest voice and the most resilient message that can usher in the greatest amount of change. The recipient of this award needs to have a plan for promoting world peace, of course, but the two qualities that they need to possess are: leadership and bravery.
Being a leader is about more than just being in control of a organization. It means putting aside the bare definition of leadership and writing a new one that accurately portrays what a true leader is. One must be honest and full of integrity; because "without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office"(Eisenhower). Success is the ultimate goal for every Prize winner, and in order to be successful, there must be a distinguished and effective leader that is in charge. These traits can be seen in former award winner (and former president), Barack Obama. As a leader of the great nation of the United States, he had to find a way to implement honesty and integrity into every aspect of his career as president. He listened to what his constituents had to say and, during a time when the country was at war, Obama ushered in a much needed time of peace. Ending the war in Iraq showed a literal way he brought peace, but his devotion to helping members of the LGBTQ+ community gain rights that were denied to them shows a metaphorical move for peace in the form of civil peace. Leaders do not just make sure that they meet the bottom line, nor do they focus absentmindedly on making success the only goal. A leader takes the initiative to make sure that they do not fail and that they are leading with honesty and integrity. When thinking of what the mindset of a true leader must be, one must think of this tidbit: "If you fail, I fail. If I fail, you fail. I will not let you fail."
Bravery is usually not a trait that is associated with peace, but it is a tool that the recipient must utilize. The fight for peace will never be easy--corrupt governments are not famous for their forgiving nature after all. And yet, people must try to bring change to all places, even if it is less than ideal. Malala Yousafzai is a girl that never expected to become the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner. Her infamous story have inspired millions to join the fight for peace (and education). Most people, if their life was in danger, would do anything to make sure that they were not a target, but Malala had the integrity to know that her cause was more important than anything else and the bravery to volunteer herself to be in constant danger for the cause. It is because of these extreme circumstances that Malala was able to get more people to listen to her story, and that is why bravery is a trait that should be factored in to who should receive the Nobel Prize. Now, it is not being said that one must put themselves in constant danger to have a shot, as bravery can come in many different forms. There is bravery in pushing an organization in a new direction, there is bravery on introducing challenging new ideas, and there is bravery in starting over in the even of failure. It is how the recipient responds to the idea of danger to their cause that will truly reveal what kind of person they are and what kind of direction this award would push them in. Bravery is more than just standing strong; it is about setting a destination and sticking with it, even if the road to success is less than ideal.
Changing the world is a notion that has been implemented into deciding who gets a Nobel Peace Prize since the start. Peace is the ultimate destination, and the past recipients have won because of their inspiring course towards getting there. Yet, what makes them successful is not just their determination and their willingness to work towards their goal. It is in their ability to lead and their tremendous bravery. These qualities are more than just admirable; they are necessary to drive the success of any organization. That is why the recipient of this award should be someone that demonstrates brilliant leadership and outstanding bravery.