The License of Leadership by Beau

The License of Leadership by Beau - March 2017 Scholarship Essay

Leadership, the class, is horribly misnamed. In terms of preparation, it’s the high school equivalent of giving a driver's license to a two-year-old. Regardless of how well they drive their Frozen-themed, battery-powered car, they are neither experienced nor mature enough to be in control of a two-thousand-pound vehicle going seventy-five miles per hour, surrounded by other speeding hunks of metal. The idea is ridiculous. Yet, by the same logic, we believe a class or a degree, the tame testing ground that is the battery-powered car, qualifies someone to serve in a leadership role, the punishing proving ground that is the freeway. It doesn’t. I know; I’m my high school’s student body president.

The class sets the precedent that leadership and influence are decided by a title, that without an official position, you’re not a leader. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
The truth is that there is someone in your life who looks up to you. It could be a friend, a classmate, a younger sibling, a coworker, a teammate, even someone older than you, but each of us provides leadership to someone.
What kind of leaders are we? Are we convenient leaders, doing whatever is easiest at the moment, or are we true leaders, doing the right thing, regardless of the consequences?

True leadership is a choice to put in the work now that leads to success later. It’s a decision to be a positive example, to act with integrity, to choose honesty, regardless of how we feel or who is watching. It’s a commitment to follow through for the people we lead, putting their needs ahead of our own. It’s a resolve to dive into even our most mundane, unenjoyable tasks with energy and enthusiasm, inspiring those around us to follow our lead. It’s a determination to always listen to others’ points of view and attempt to find middle ground in conflict. It’s a refusal to give up or make excuses when things go wrong and an insistence to take responsibility and work through failure. It’s being trustworthy with our responsibilities and trusting others to do theirs, providing help when needed. It’s persistently giving our best effort and pushing others to do the same. It’s persevering through failure as a team, learning from our mistakes instead of fracturing into individuals, passing the blame.

It’s hard to always be that kind of person. I struggle with it every single day. I respond with anger instead of remaining calm. I make excuses. I blame other people for my mistakes. But a true leader works tirelessly through these struggles and motivates others to take the same path.
A true leader listens to the advice of those around them, especially if it is contrary to what they believe, because it allows them to closely examine their convictions.
A true leader is a problem solver, able to think on their feet and come up with solutions that benefit everyone involved.
A true leader is calm under pressure, able to think level-headedly even when the spotlight is on their every move.
A true leader is willing to do anything to make their team successful, even if that means taking on the worst part of the project or working outside of their comfort zone.

Leadership, the skill - these characteristics - cannot be taught in calm situations. It’s a commitment in times of competition, of conflict, of crisis. It’s easy to say the right things when there is no opposition, when things are going well. But pressure reveals our perseverance. Sure, it’s possible to watch how people in power lead when things are going smoothly, but all management and leadership techniques are stripped away by the fires of condemnation and criticism. In these times, all that is left is an internal resolve to keep working and an intense loyalty to the team. That, not a class, is leadership. With or without a title, anyone can pursue these ideals and be a leader. And that is a license you can go somewhere with.