Leadership and College Success by Kai

Leadership and College Success by Kai - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

I do not believe that leadership skills are necessary for college success. I believe a strong sense of purpose, self-knowledge, and self-discipline are much stronger indicators for success in college. Students who develop self-knowledge know what needs to be done and when to do it. They also know how to plan their workload in a way that moves them toward success. Self-discipline means that the student will complete the necessary work that is necessary to pass his or her classes.

My sense of purpose drives me to do good. Right now, my purpose is to excel in school and to make my parents proud. Without purpose, leadership will only lead others astray. Purpose is the workhorse of success, but a workhorse is no good unless its’ limits are known and direction is provided. Self-knowledge allows us to utilize the power of purpose more efficiently.

Students with self-knowledge are better able to know what's more important, and will prioritize their time accordingly. For example, I know I am more proficient in math but not in science, therefore I need more time to finish balancing equations for Chemistry class, than finding the area under a parabola for Calculus class. It also allows me to plan for study time between my math homework and writing Spanish essays. Being able to predict how long a task will take is an important element of self-knowledge.

John Wooden is one of the most successful college basketball coaches in history. He was often known for saying “Failure to plan, is planning to fail.” Self-knowledge allows you to create a plan. Leadership skills do not. Making a meaningful schedule towards graduation requires planning. Knowing what your goals will allow us help you decide which classes to take and when.

If you know your academic limits, then you will choose the right number classes and those with appropriate difficulty. Otherwize, coursework overload could be a big problem. It would also be smart to take classes that are related or help you work towards your goal or passion. For me, my goal is to become a Financial Analyst and taking business finance classes will bring me closer to my goal.

Self-discipline is the third important skill I believe leads to success in college. While leadership doesn’t mean discipline, leading by example does. My brother is an excellent example. He graduated college in three years and is now a very successful financial analyst for Apple. His success was not achieved by a lack of effort. He isn’t a genius.

What he has is the self-discipline to spend the time to understand the course work. After the long and arduous study times, he is well prepared for the exams ahead. If a stranger were to meet him, they’d agree that he is a very dry and focused individual who would make a horrible leader. Regardless of his personality flaws, his example is one I follow. After all, students are not graded on leadership skills, they are graded on how well they master the material.

Obviously, leadership is not a bad thing. Nor does it impede self-mastery. Leadership skills helps us to obtain the most out of college. Even after college, those skills are wonderful to have. But that does not mean that they are a necessity. There are so many skills other than leadership that would be more beneficial in college, such as persistence and perseverance. Being an amazing leader in sports or through group projects isn’t enough for a student to graduate.

So, whether a student exhibits leadership skills or not, his or her success in college does not depends upon them. Most likely, it depends upon purpose, self-knowledge and self-discipline. Having a reason for doing something, knowing what needs to be done, having the self-discipline to finish the work is self-mastery. Therefore, leadership skills are not necessary for college success, however, they are definitely skills that will assist a person in almost every aspect of life. Although I can see leadership skills as essential for optimal success, I stand by my statement that purpose, self-knowledge, and self-discipline are more essential for college success.