Leadership Skills: A Necessity by Elizabeth

Leadership Skills: A Necessity by Elizabeth - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

As a freshman in college, I've already learned that leadership skills are vital for success. College is a time to find yourself and be proud of who you truly are. If you aren't confident in your own skin, then it's hard to be a leader. The majority of college students test out a lot of things in college, whether that be alcohol, drugs, or other risky activities. As a leader, you can help these experimenters make the right decisions. I've decided I won't drink alcohol until I am 21 years old. At times, it's hard. I feel out of place, like an odd ball, but I've made a decision and I plan to stick to it no matter what anyone else thinks. A leader needs to be able to make decisions and stick to them. There will always be people who question their decisions or motives, which means leaders need to know how to accept criticism yet stay true to their beliefs.

Leadership skills are also vital in the classroom. Students who possess leadership skills stand out to their professors in a positive way. A quiet student who rarely speaks up or rarely does the assigned work is not as likely as a student who volunteers answers in class and challenges the professor to be successful. There are also a lot of group projects in college. If everyone in the group is submissive and unable to make decisions, then nothing will get done. While you don’t want to be controlling or domineering, you need to be able to be a leader and make the decisions if no one else is able to. A successful leader knows how to interact with his or her team. In this example of a group project, before making decisions, the leader needs to get the group member’s opinions and suggestions.

There are also a number of clubs and activities you are able to get involved with in college. With these extracurricular activities come opportunities to develop and utilize your leadership skills. Whether it be the captain of a sports team or the president of a club, leadership skills are necessary. Take advantage of these opportunities to develop your leadership skills! After college, you’ll most likely enter into a career. If you didn’t develop leadership skills in college then it will be hard to be successful in the future or in the workplace.