Leading Yourself Before Others by Juan

Leading Yourself Before Others by Juan - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

Leadership is a quality trait that not everybody possesses, but with persistence and determination can be acquired. College is a time period in which we as students can begin to grow and really shine as leaders among our classmates and community. Merriam-Webster defines leadership as “the power or ability to lead other people”. However, because you must first be able to lead yourself before leading others, leadership is a skill that is not necessary for college success.

College is a stage in life in which we are still finding ourselves and determining what it is we want to spend the rest of our life doing. While leadership is a great trait to have during this period, it is not necessary in order to reach college success. Students may grow during this time in class discussions, labs, projects, and community involvements which lead to development in our leadership abilities. But it is during college in which it is important for us to try and develop these leadership skills, which then, will be necessary for overall success in our lives.

We must also keep in mind that success in college is measured differently based upon the individual. For some, college success could simply just be passing and graduating with a diploma. For others, college success could be graduating with honors and high community involvement. A study by NPR news found that only 2 in 5 Americans are earning degrees after high school. With this in mind one could argue that just graduating with a college degree would be measured as “success”. If that statement were to be valid, then leadership is a trait in which you do not necessarily have to have.

We can work hard through college, make good grades, and graduate without leading others. Being studious, focusing on your education, being mindful of time and other such things are what is necessary for college success. The main goal of college is to prepare us for the field of study in which we will be working after graduation. It is essential that we focus on ourselves and reaching our maximum potential. The importance of our college career is to first make sure we are leading ourselves, before we go into the real world and lead others.