Why you don't need to be a leader to succeed in college by Dalton

Why you don't need to be a leader to succeed in college by Dalton - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

Leadership skills and success. At first glance, I would assume that the two go hand-in-hand. Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Ghandi, and all of the people that are considered exceptionally successful in the world exemplify leadership. When initially viewing this essay prompt, I thought "of course leadership skills are necessary for success!" However, as I thought deeper on this subject, I realized that it depends on your definition of success. The particular question here is, are leadership skills necessary for COLLEGE success? Well, what is college success? If you ask my grandparents, two of the wisest people I know, they would say that a high GPA and receiving a diploma defines COLLEGE success.

To properly address the given prompt, I believe that it is not necessary to possess leadership skills in order to succeed in college, given that the definition of college success is a high GPA and a degree in one's field of study. In fact, in order to achieve exemplary academic scores, it is best to become a follower. Take notes from the instructor, learn the material that is given to you, study what you have learned, and perform well on standardized tests. If you follow the instructions and just put forth the effort to understand the material, you will achieve a high GPA and a diploma. No where along the line is it necessary to become a leader. Even after you earn your degree, you can go on to work a nice salary job, being employed by a person or business that has already paved the path for you. For many people, this is what they desire in life and achieving it would define them as successful.

However, for those who wish to carve their own path and be successful, much leadership is required. These are the "5 percent-ers", the ones who employ the majority of college grads and sign their paychecks. Only strong leaders can be this successful in life, with "success" being defined as exemplary in the four pillars of health, wealth, love and happiness. Such a leader cannot be considered successful if he is only a leader in business. He must be a leader in his family, responsible with his health, and have genuine joy in his life. The "5 percent-er" leader gets up in the morning and tap dances to work and his family and friends love and respect him. He enjoys the life that he lives. With this definition of success, strong leadership is most definitely required. However, to merely achieve high test scores in college, leadership skills are not necessary.