Learn to Lead; Lead to Learn by Beleny

Learn to Lead; Lead to Learn by Beleny - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

John F. Kennedy summed up the relationship between learning and leadership when he said, “Leadership and learning are indispensable to one another.” His quote demonstrates the capacity for leadership in education. It is multidimensional; up for interpretation. But more importantly, JFK demonstrates that leadership skills are not a prerequisite to learning; rather they are inherent to the learning process.

Depending on how leadership is defined, one could either agree or disagree completely with the notion that leadership skills are necessary for college success. If leadership means “having the ability to incite large groups into action by delivering passionate ground-breaking speeches,” then most might agree that leadership is absolutely necessary for communications majors. But what if leadership is “taking initiative to inspire and empower individuals with a common goal to take steps toward achievement”? In that case, there is no end to the number of ways students can exercise this ability in their education.
Everyone is familiar with the phrase, “lead by example.” This concept has many iterations, including another familiar saying, the famous Golden Rule: “Treat others as you would like to be treated.” Being a leader is not having the ability to dictate the actions of others. At its very core, leadership is rooted in the actions and behaviors modeled by the leaders themselves. Each day that college students show up to class ready to learn, they model many leadership qualities, such as effort and determination, for their peers and younger generations. As leaders, college students are forging new paths into the unfamiliar territory of higher education and clearing the path for others.

Tackling the obstacles of leadership requires the ability to take in new information and transform it into experience that creates opportunities. Learning new skills in and out of the classroom gives leaders a set of tools to apply to new challenges. College students, upon graduation, will go on to impact the world with the knowledge they gain from being pushed to their intellectual limits. They will show others that higher learning is possible, it opens doors; and they will lead the way.