Recipe for Successful Leadership by Aisha

Recipe for Successful Leadership by Aisha - December 2021 Scholarship Essay

The best traits for a leader are humility, honesty, and compassion. A leader is someone who guides others to success with unwavering conviction. These traits are not limited to creed or gender identity but to one’s values. I believe a combination of these values is a recipe for a successful leader.

Humility is a humble approach to shortcomings. It looks like someone who acknowledges their mistakes and is ready to use them as a learning opportunity. The road to success is seldom clear of any obstacles. Thus, any good leader knows that failure is the keystone of success; not accepting failure will only hold everyone back from seeing other avenues towards victory. Humility is also a modest lens for looking at problems. Instead of being blinded by pride, humble leaders are unattached from their feelings for the greater good.

Honesty is how leaders build trust with themselves and others. Without trust, there’s no communication and success. If a leader is regularly dishonest, her teammates will see them as fraud breaking one another’s trust. Dishonesty also hurts the leader as well. If you lead with lies, you won’t have faith in your own leadership in times of need. Honest leaders communicate with their teammates and never place their own interests above the team’s needs.

Compassionate leaders carry the most impact than any other leader. Compassion is the quality of positive intentions and genuine concern for others. A compassionate leader communicates well with her teammates, builds trust, and enhances loyalty. In the long term, compassionate leaders create a culture of openness without rigid hierarchical structures.