Leading is Listening by Lillian

Leading is Listening by Lillian - July 2024 Scholarship Essay

This year, I came to the realization that I didn’t want to be an artist– I wanted to lead them. It was a hard decision to want to change my college plans, which I had been set on, to reflect the idea of managing, but it needed to be done. Through the people I met and the organization I created I learned so much about leadership that it changed how I thought about it. Leadership, contrary to what I used to think, is not about control. It is about people.

People are more important than the work. Passionate people, who work in different fields but come together, who shock and impress each other, will always be the backbone of success. A leader must be open, and they must be kind. If one wants to innovate, then they must first, without fail, support.

Leadership is continuing to learn from those that seek advice from you. It is encouraging those you look up to to think about something in a different way. My teacher took the ice breaker brainstorm I used in my club for her quiet classes, a mentor of mine, a former American Girl Art Director, used my advice on presenting for her proposal to her town council. Just as they have learned from me, I learn from them. I ask my teacher and mentor to evaluate my success from different perspectives -- as an empathetic professional who can read my audience, and as a professional who knows project management. This process, of trading, understanding, and viewing things in a different manner, is imperative to the continued health of my organization. So often, leading is listening.