Are Leadership Skills Necessary? by Andrew

Are Leadership Skills Necessary? by Andrew - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

I am a high school senior and have been my class Vice President for the past two years. I was captain of my soccer team this year as well. I've been accepted to the college of my choice and think these leadership positions may have helped. But I look at my high school classmates who were not involved with leadership and it seems the ones who wanted to go to college have been accepted too. I feel that leadership skills may not be necessary but will help you get more out of your college time.

By having some leadership skills in high school, I feel pretty confident in going to college. I can talk to just about anybody and like to get involved. Both of these will be a big help in college. It will be easier for me to talk to my professors, or my soccer coach. I will meet more people by getting involved. If someone is not feeling confident to talk to other people or get involved, that does not mean they can't be successful. It will be a different experience for them and they may not get noticed but they can still be successful.

I think where leadership skills will be the biggest help is when you are getting ready to have a job. If you had practice with leadership skills, it may be easier to go on an interview and get the job. Some jobs will want leadership experiences but some jobs may not require that. I want to be a nurse. I think leadership skills will help me in my career but they will not be the primary reason why I would get a job. I think other careers will be the same. Leadership skills will help, but may not be necessary.

Finally, leadership includes so many different skills, a person may be able to develop some of the skills without ever being in a leadership position. For instance, I was told being a good leader includes listening and treating others with respect. Both of these skills can be achieved in other ways. A person can be a good listener to family and friends or treat classmates with respect.

Everyone is going to create their own college experience. Leadership can be a part of it and provide great experiences that help with college success. But I do not think leadership has to be a piece of what makes a person successful in college.