The Empowering Power of Leadership by Carson

The Empowering Power of Leadership by Carson - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

College is an exciting stage of life with thousands of decisions to be made. I have often been told that the choices I make in these few years will affect my future indefinitely. The way I look at it too is that college is one of the greatest chances that we have to grow. We all live in our comfort zone and when we leave that small bubble of familiarity, we have a chance to grow and change into adults with a future and purpose. Leadership skills come with that growth.
Leadership is one of the tools of success in life. Is it necessary for college success? Absolutely, if we have the drive to develop it. I can graduate with a 4 year degree or go on to a post-graduate program and graduate with honors. But if I stay in my small comfort bubble, let others make my decisions, and don’t take some initiative to take the lead with my life, I will remain in someone’s shadow.

The wonderful aspect of leadership is that it gives us power. And I’m not talking about the dictator or tyrannical power of bossing others around. I’m talking about the power to make change happen, the power to enlighten our lives and the lives of others. A true leader empowers others to be great, and therein defines the true reason why college students need to develop leadership. If every university graduate left school as a leader, think of the impact that could have on society. If they all had the mindset to be fair, to not tell others to “go and do” but to say “LET’S go and do!” To quote John Quincy Adams, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more & become more, you are a leader.”

Developing the skill to lead will make any college experience more fruitful and the windows of opportunity will open ten-fold to anyone who starts to lead others. And the growth they will achieve will help the growth and success of countless number of lives down the road. So yes, you could say leadership skills are necessary for success, not only in college, but in life forever after college.