Succeeding Without Leading by Ashley

Succeeding Without Leading by Ashley - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

Leadership skills are not necessary for college success. The meaning of college success can be interpreted in various ways. Because college success can be interpreted in various ways, it is difficult to decide what success is. College success is actually determined by the university itself. Colleges already have certain criteria that you must meet in order to graduate, so if one can overcome those obstacles then one is considered to be successful.

College is usually the time when most students develop leadership skills but the leadership skills aren’t exactly expressed until after college; students in college can learn leadership skills but they are not required to be successful. Leadership skills are highly encouraged but not necessary.

There are many skills that are necessary to graduate college: 2 of the most important being organization and communication. Being a leader is more of a personality trait and a student that is shy, quit, observant, and introverted can easily graduate from college just as well as a student who is loud, outgoing, exuberant, involved and extroverted. It is not leadership that determines college success; it is hard work, dedication, persistency, patience, focus, and confidence that determine college success.

Leadership skills include all (if not more) of the traits listed above; however, one of the biggest things that makes a leader a leader is the idea of being a positive role model that other fellow students look up to and respect. If all students graduated as leaders then there would be no one to follow and look up to those leaders. So it is safe to conclude that leadership skills are not necessary to be a successful college student.