Is Leadership a Liability? by Natalie

Is Leadership a Liability? by Natalie - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

Every college, job, and extracurricular application asks about past leadership positions. The qualities of leaders seem to be placed high on a pedestal that only a select few can reach. Why is leadership such an esteemed quality in people? The truth is, leadership is not always as incredible as society makes it sound.

First of all, being a leader can divert one from his or her own goals and responsibilities. Imagine a student leader who is writing a term paper, but keeps getting distracted by various other responsibilities related to leading others. Suppose this student participates in a sport, or debate club, and is the captain or president. These other roles should be put on a back-burner when it comes to being a successful student, but there is still the possibility of them surmounting the significance of studying. In this case, leadership roles can actually harm the student's attention and focus on schoolwork. That student's grades may suffer so much that he or she might not graduate on time. How can that be beneficial?

Furthermore, leadership can be an incredibly stressful position. College students are known for being stressed to the breaking point; why should any additional stress be placed upon them? Students have been known to go to extreme measures to attempt to rid themselves of stress, including taking their own lives. The risks of being a leader far outweigh the benefits in cases like these.

On the other hand, many people argue that leadership teaches skills that will be important in all aspects of life. While this may be true, there is no guarantee that a student would learn these skills properly. Corrupt leaders are common throughout the world; while they may possess every useful leadership skill known to man, it does not mean they will use them to do beneficial things. Leaders have the power to create or to destroy.

To restate, leadership is not always the glowing quality that society makes it seem to be. It can distract from more important ventures, or even create enough stress to drive someone to extreme measures. There is no guarantee that a leader will act for the good of the order. Leadership may be an important quality in many situations, but it should be treated with extreme caution. College students are not all natural-born leaders, but that does not mean they can not be successful in their studies. In fact, being a leader may be the liability that prevents them from triumph.