The Recipe For A Leader by Maggie

The Recipe For A Leader by Maggie - December 2021 Scholarship Essay

The word “leader” is often easily overlooked and not truly understood or fully appreciated by many. I believe that a leader is many things: motivational, empathetic, personable, determined and optimistic. However, how can one truly know what a leader is, until they have walked in the shoes of a leader themselves?

Throughout my high school career, I have had the opportunity to truly understand what a leader is by being one myself. From the start of freshman year, I became the team captain of the freshman volleyball team, and I had little to no idea of what my role was. As my team lost over and over again, I learned that a leader didn’t have to be the best player on the team, but the best motivator and believer.

Throughout our whole lives, we have led by example. From having parents as our leaders, to teachers, coaches, and even bosses as leaders. However, the moment we finally find the leader in ourselves, is the only way to know what one truly is.
After becoming a leader for the first time, I was able to understand what I had to do to be a better one. By my senior year, I was the team captain of the varsity volleyball team. I may not have been the best player on the team, but I was the one that always encouraged my teammates, was always optimistic and believed in ourselves. I believe that step two to being a leader is being a teammate and friend first, otherwise there is no mutual respect.

Not only have I found leadership in my volleyball career, but I have also found it in every nook and cranny of my life. My freshman year of high school, I adopted three, completely wild, mustangs from the range in Wyoming. These horses had never felt the human touch, and I am a firm believer that every animal on this earth longs for leadership. By being an encouraging, friendly face to these wild creatures, I maintained a level of respect that I have found all leaders have. The mutual respect formed a bond with these mustangs that allowed me to train them to become friendly animals.

Without respect, determination and encouragement, a leader can’t truly be a leader. However, this title also comes with an enormous amount of pressure. This is because leaders are often role models, and many are blind to the power that this holds.
I began volunteering as a running coach with an organization called Girls Run Missoula my junior year of high school. This organization provides races and trail runs for youth girls searching to accomplish challenging goals that many would find unimaginable. As a running coach for the girls, I encouraged them to continue running their races and kick their goals in the butt. If you don’t remember being a child or don’t have one yourself, then know that high school students are like celebrities to young children. This power I had as a leader to the girls helped me recognize that I was a role model to them.

I think that many leaders forget that they have a huge influence on the lives of so many individuals, and it’s important for leaders to stay humble throughout their journey. Although the term “leader” is such a broad word known to so many, it is also a title that holds an incredible amount of skills. Without being a leader myself, I would have never recognized the importance and significance of one.

I strive to continue on this search for the exact definition of a leader, but I don’t think it’s as easy as it seems. What I do know is that a leader is someone who accumulates a broad variety of experiences, and through these experiences they are able to be the best leader they can be. I hope to one day be the leader that is described as optimistic, determined, strong, respectful, passionate, encouraging and a good role model to all.