Patience by Daisy

Patience by Daisy - December 2021 Scholarship Essay

A trait that best describes a leader is patience because a leader needs to have patience in order to guide their team in the right direction. Having a leader that becomes easily frustrated under pressure affects the team’s morale and failure becomes inevitable. Good leaders take the time to come up with a plan, communicate with their team, and focus on achieving their goal. Those steps wouldn’t be possible without having patience. In my experience, it doesn’t do anyone any good to be frustrated and criticize the group for their mistakes.

I appreciate leaders who take the time to help me understand what my role is in a group. I often get nervous in stressful situations, so I look to the leader to tell me what to do. It does not help me or anyone if the leader becomes angry or frustrated with the team for making a mistake. My nervousness goes away if I know that the leader can help me with my mistakes. Leaders with a plan need the patience to explain what the plan is to their members without getting onto anyone for not understanding. There have been plenty of times where I had to repeat myself or make it clear to my group what it is I want us to do.

While I value traits such as courageousness and integrity, I believe having patience comes first in leadership. Any member of a group can have integrity and courage, but a leader is the one who has to guide and speak for an entire group. Leaders also need to have patience for their own selves. Having low self-esteem or frustration over their leadership can lower the team’s morale. A leader is a member of a team, so that means the leader must take care of themselves along with everyone else.