Leadership for the Greater Good by Mina

Leadership for the Greater Good by Mina - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

Leadership skills are necessary for college success and life success. However, it is not important to have leadership skills upon entering college in order to be successful. Instead, it is important to continuously seek to better one’s self and to develop into more of a leader than one was upon entering college. Since there isn't one set way to be a leader, it is essential to utilize college as an opportunity to explore different leadership styles and roles. Leadership skills are necessary for success because these skills prepare people to take initiative. Taking initiative is important in college because it benefits the individual and the community.

Leadership skills, which cause people to take initiative, are beneficial to an individual because they make it natural for one to complete a task when it needs to be done. For most students, college is the first time they are on their own with no one to tell them what to do and when to do it. It is essential for students to learn leadership skills so that they can take their responsibilities into their own hands. By learning to do this effectively, students will be successful in college because they will learn to balance their classes with extracurriculars, work, family, friends, and personal time. Without developing leadership skills, students may not be able to take initiative in their own lives and complete things in a timely manner, thus causing them to fall behind or fail in their academics, or any other aspect of their life.

Leadership skills are also beneficial to the community because such skills cause students to take initiative and do what is right, even if they are the only one to do it. Students who develop leadership skills benefit their peers by being courageous enough to stand up for others. The importance of bystander intervention is stressed on college campuses. Those who develop leadership skills will be more likely to take initiative, especially when no one else will. These people will benefit their community by helping those in unsafe situations or standing up for students who are being bullied – another important issue on college campuses.

A student does not need to have an official leadership position in order to develop leadership skills. Everyone is the leader of their own life. Students should use college as an opportunity to further develop their leadership skills so that they can succeed in college. By utilizing their time at college wisely, students will be able to step into the post-graduate world and feel prepared to take initiative in their own lives and to stand up for what is right – even if they’re the only one standing.