The Perceptive by Eric

The Perceptive by Eric - December 2021 Scholarship Essay

A King, a president, a commander, a mayor, a coach. All these titles describe one type of person, a leader. A leader is revered as strong, passionate, steadfast, courageous, clever, responsible, the list is almost endless. While the list of traits held by a leader are bountiful, as well as variable, there is one trail above all others that all good leaders must have, perceptiveness. A successful leader must be perceptive. Perceptive of their subordinates, their needs, worries and desires. Perceptive of themselves, they must be aware of how they speak and hold themselves in order to present a presence of leadership and respect. A leader must also be perceptive of the world and environment in order to properly asses the situation and decide the best action for those who rely on their leadership.
Consider this example. A king of a distraught kingdom, ravaged by famine, lives a life of wealth and comfort. As this king parades through the kingdom within his covered palanquin, he hears the roar of his people and the pang of the metal crockery. Behind the curtain of the palanquin, this king has no view of his people, but he hears their cheers, the clanking of the feists, he assumes the spirits of his people are high. A glance through the palanquin curtain and the king sees all the cheers have been screams and taunts. The clanking of the crockery, nothing more than the sound of blade against blade. The king has lacked the perceptiveness to see the needs of his people, resulting in a revolution, a failed attempt at leadership.
Not only must a leader be perceptive of those who follow them, but perceptive of themselves. For example, a football team is fighting a losing battle and looks to their coach for hope. In one instance, said coach straightens his back, speaks loud and confident, and speaks with certainty. This image is internalized by his team, they listen and they trust his plan. In another instance, said coach bites his lip, he falls to the predictable loss and speaks with uncertainty rather than provide hope and confidence. His team, who looks to him as leader, will follow suit and accept failure. This comparison is to illustrate the importance of self perception as a leader. A leader who understands how they are seen by others, is a leader who can persuade people into action.
A leader must know himself and his people, this much is true, but a leader who doesn't know the world around him, is a leader that makes no fatal errors. Lets imagine a warzone. A commander, versed in the skill of self-perception, holds himself with the confidence of a lion. He hears the desires of his people, to succeed in winning the war. Based on his ability to persuade, and his knowledge of his people, this commander decides to advance through enemy lines and destroy everything standing in their path. The second they march into enemy territory, the ground erupts, wiping half of their militia. The commander had not perceived the disturbance of the ground around them, they've wandered into a mine field. This commanders lack of perception of the world around him resulted in a fatal failure.
As shown within these examples, every leader must have the power to perceive. A leader perceives his people, himself and the world to a degree that allows him to make informed and successful decisions. To conclude, a leader can have will, strength, intelligence, courage, or passion, but if a leader doesn't have perceptiveness, then they will surely see failure.