Leadership by Example by Caroline

Leadership by Example by Caroline - May 2024 Scholarship Essay

Warren G. Bennis once described leadership as the capacity to translate vision into reality. If an organization has strong leadership, whether by an individual or a team, it is significantly more likely to succeed. If an organization lacks strong leadership, it is doomed to fail before it even begins. Thus leadership is a critical skill for an individual to develop, and one of the best ways of doing so is by looking at an example. Leadership can take many forms. It can be organizing, directing, or simply having a vision and being able to make that happen. In my experience, one of the best ways to lead is by example. One example of such leadership is my horse judging coach Becky Hookstra. She works tirelessly in her already busy schedule to push us to our greatest potential, and does this by leading by example.
Becky Hookstra is one of the busiest people I know. She helps out at the Farmington 4-H, helping the elementary students to learn to show their various animals at the fair. She attends jackpot shows almost every weekend to support her youngest daughter. She also breeds and raises show lambs to sell to students. She is the one responsible for our school having an FFA chapter in the first place. She has been an integral part of our chapter, and I cannot even imagine where we would be without her strong leadership. She coached our horse judging team for as long as it has existed, until a student asked for a livestock team. Rather than tell her no, or choosing to quit coaching the horse judging team, she agreed to coach both teams at the same time. She comes to practice twice a week for two hours, and attends our contests whenever possible. It is almost impossible to tell her that you’re too busy to come to practice or put in time outside of school when she holds up her schedule.
Not only is she incredibly talented, but she is extremely dedicated. She holds up to a standard higher than we believe is possible to reach. Yet somehow, we manage to go above and beyond her goal. She pushes us to work hard, and to prove the impossible possible to ourselves. She coached my sisters team, and they moved on to place third at the National level. The very next year, she took a team of entirely new people and pushed us to place 2nd at State. This year, she once again drove us to that first place victory and has pledged her time to help us prepare for nationals this October. When a school is that consistent in placing high, it is clear that it is due to the coach, rather than the students making it so. Sometimes it is hard to appreciate everything she has done, especially when she is pushing you to find your breaking point. However, she does everything with our best interests at heart, and has helped me to grow as a person in so many ways.
Becky Hookstra is someone who is able to see the potential in an individual and make it come to light. She sets an example of hard work and diligence, and inspires others to follow her example. I can say with utter certainty that she has impacted my life positively by her leadership. She has made me into a different person, and built four individuals into a team that I am proud to be a part of. Even looking with nerves to our National contest in October, I know that Becky Hookstra will not allow us to do anything less than our best. She will be there with us every step of the way, and I know that with her help we can accomplish anything.