Lead Yourself by Diondra

Lead Yourself by Diondra - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

A piece of advice I heard consistently growing up was to ‘be a leader’. In elementary school it was advised so as not to get in trouble with the other kids at recess. In middle school it was a warning not to follow the path of any bullies. In high school it was to avoid the following the crowd of teenagers making poor choices. In college, however, this advice has less to do with avoiding the potential downhill path that may come from following peers. At this level, being a leader places the focus and consequences, negative or positive, solely on yourself. Leadership skills are necessary for college success because, without them, you will not be able to efficiently govern yourself.

Leadership skills include discipline, wise decision making, discernment and being an effective communicator. Without the direct guidance of parents and teachers, college students need to be able to care for and direct themselves. Both academically and socially students need to lead themselves. They must use leadership qualities to discern which parties to skip, and the most effective way to communicate any issues they may be having to their advisor, for example. It is also necessary to have these leadership skills going in to college so that students are able to expand upon them, and grow them. This will be necessary for post-graduation employment.

Not having leadership skills in college leaves students susceptible to being overly dependent on an advisor or friend. These outside influences cannot govern and provide guidance every step of the way. You need to be able to do that for yourself. Otherwise, you will fail, not only academically but the whole “college experience.” College students, please be able to lead yourselves.