Farm Boy to Cross Functional Leader by Judd

Farm Boy to Cross Functional Leader by Judd - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

A farm boy from central Pennsylvania steps into his freshman math class of one thousand strong at one of the largest private colleges in Philadelphia. Does his success during the next four years of college depend on his leadership skills? That farm boy was me not so long ago and as I prepare to return to an academic environment as a graduate student I think that the answer to this question is somewhat complicated.

Leadership skills are certainly not necessary to graduate but they are crucial to your future sucess. At a large institution you can blend in and be virtually anonymous. Sure there are a few group projects, but you can squeak by without developing any meaningful leadership skills. This approach will enable you to graduate and probably even land an entry-level position. Unfortunately without any leadership skills you are not going to be positioned to make an impact and your upward mobility will be severely limited.

The workplace today is increasingly complex and cross-functional teamwork is an everyday event. You cannot be a high functioning team member or expect to be given additional responsibilities unless you have leadership skills. You will have the opportunity to develop these skills on the job but you will be much better positioned to enter the workforce if you use your time as an undergraduate to begin exploring how to be a leader. This applies across virtually all job functions and career fields. So the next time you find yourself working on a group project push yourself outside of your comfort zone and volunteer to be the group leader.