The Leadership Disguise by Lauren

The Leadership Disguise by Lauren - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

The leading cause of heart disease. The leading cause of cancer. These are the top two leaders; leaders in the mortality race. The leading cause of premature birth weight in babies. The leading cause of childhood obesity. Opposing yet negative to thriving life, yet both leaders. The leading cause of corruption among government leaders, among professionals, among youth. On the other end of the spectrum, market leaders, world leaders, community leaders, playground leaders impact for both good and bad. There are leading medical advances, leading edge technological advances and leading trends. Sometimes leading trends and leaders work to undo progress. Other times, leading paves the way to progress, profit and prestige. More impressive to me though is leading that results in personal pride, competency and integrity through well thought out intention and effort.

"For truth and duty, it is never a fitting time; who waits until circumstances completely favor his undertaking, will never accomplish anything." Martin Luther. To wait on another to put forth an effort or make a decision is to remain complacent. Leadership is important to certain successes in college. Leadership is important to getting you to college. Waiting to complete that early admission application will help an applicant make the waiting list at a sought after university. Leading the pack with a well-prepared resume, transcripts revealing classroom and curriculum leadership and raw ambition will land a prospective applicant on the "accepted" list. Tenacity to do accomplish is leadership in disguise. Some might argue that it isn't synonymous with leadership. I think it is. Asking questions when you aren't the scholar facilitates learning. Admitting lack of understanding out loud might be construed as weak. With intention, it leads the way to learning for the one who asks and for those who are present to listen.

Some passive participants will succeed in college. Certain scholars will master the material the toughest professor can challenge a student to learn and do it with ease. Those students won't need leadership to perform a necessary computation. Those students can work alone, but others will need to collaborate with the scholars and tutoring centers to master the toughest coursework. As a four year veteran of high school level pre-calculus and chemistry tutoring, the investment in time, money and intention, I can say first hand that sometimes admitting a weakness is the first step toward personal leadership. It is taking responsibility. It is holstering your own power. Disguised as need, seeking help and expertise can be leadership. It demonstrates tenacity and will to succeed. When group assignments and lab work require collaboration, leaders bring the doers, dreamers and prodigies together to master the requirement. In the real world, these same leaders build companies, enrich lives and care for the needs of others.

Leadership will always have it's place at college. It will divide and it will conquer in our world. It is the measure of integrity and intention with which leadership is employed that will determine the ultimate fate of its necessity and success in college and forever after.