Leadership Skills and College Success by Kelly

Leadership Skills and College Success by Kelly - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

There are many factors that contribute to the success a student may enjoy in college. Leadership skills are often considered one of the factors for success, but is this quality entirely necessary to be a successful student and obtain success in college? Many would argue that such skills are not entirely necessary for success, while others might claim such skills are imperative.

Specific characteristics of those who achieve success in college seem to be quite consistent. Some of such characteristics that immediately come to mind are the desire to do well and the willingness to work hard. Without these characteristics, success may be elusive. Although leadership skills are very important and should be embraced, many would argue that such skills are not necessary for success in college. It has been the observation of many that leadership is something that is often developed over time and is not necessarily a trait of many college students. This is not to say that many college students do not go on to become great leaders, but leaders are often cultivated. There are those who are "born leaders" and are gifted in this area, but like so many others skills, cultivation is necessary. Often, many college age people do not have the maturity or life experience to fully understand what true good leadership is. On the contrary, there are those college students who do possess great leadership skills, but this does not seem to be the norm on most college campuses.

In addition to getting good grades, being successful in college also means understanding one's strengths and weaknesses as well as accepting certain personal traits and characteristics about oneself. In this world, there are all types of people and to maintain that leadership skills are necessary for college success might be intimidating to someone who might otherwise be a stellar student. Defining one specific characteristic that is necessary for college success might actually be an impediment to the success of some students. Not everyone can be in charge or be a leader nor does everyone want to be. Embracing all different kinds of students and being embraced by teachers and peers is necessary for success in addition to hard work and effort.

In closing, leadership skills are a great asset to have as a student and may help a student navigate through college, but by no means are such skills absolutely necessary for success. Multiple factors are responsible for the success of a college student and recognizing what is needed for success by the student is likely the first step to achieving success.