The Importance of Leadership Skills for College by Kyle

The Importance of Leadership Skills for College by Kyle - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

Leadership skills are not necessary for college success. The definition of leadership is the action of leading a group of people or an organization. Growing up in high school I wanted to be successful in life. In order for me to achieve this dream, I knew I had to get good grades in high school. When the time came, I joined as many extracurricular activities that I could because I knew colleges would like to see that. I had to end some friendships and join into better ones. I surrounded myself with the smart kids. I even started going to church because it would boost my self esteem. By taking all of these steps towards success, I turned my life completely around. I went from a boring ignorant kid who didn't care about anything in life, to a smart successful kid who loves life and everyone around him. The fact that I changed my life this much, is motivation for me everyday to keep it getting better.

Throughout my journey, I have only been a leader a few times in my life. I have mostly been an independent kid who worries about himself. So Leadership skills aren’t necessary, but they might help achieve success. For example: when I was a senior in high school I was offered to be the captain of the Junior Varsity squad. I accepted this because I had the opportunity to help others succeed. The younger class men looked up to me as a mentor because I showed them the fundamentals of basketball. If they were to make a minor mistake, I would help them adjust without making them feel embarrassed. Towards the end of the season, my teammates knew me as their leader. If we were falling behind in a game, I would motivate them to finish the game out strong. This experience helped me learn the characteristics I need for becoming a leader.

Leadership skills will help you in many ways. One example may be it helping you interact with larger crowds of people. These skills give you the confidence to stand by your opinions. Another example may be it boosting your self-esteem. If you have lead a group successfully before, you may know how important you felt in that position. Now these examples show how much of an impact leadership skills give you, but they are not necessary for college success. These skills may be needed for some people because it might be the only way they can survive in college. But for me, I have proven myself to not rely on these skills to achieve my success. Leadership skills can be helpful, but they are not necessary.