Confidence. Perseverance. Leadership. by Paige

Confidence. Perseverance. Leadership. by Paige - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

Leadership is communication and understanding, responsibility and dedication. Without leadership skills, you become lost in a crowd, following others with the hope that you will one day reach your goal. However, if you take your fate in your own hands, you will know exactly where you are heading and what consequences to expect. Contrary to common belief, you do not need to be in a “leadership position” in order to have and demonstrate leadership. Any member of any group can reach out to the people around them in order to provide guidance and advice, and having confidence in yourself and your abilities will allow you to do just that. Allow yourself to stand out because getting noticed is the first step to advancing yourself in any career.

Leadership skills will only serve to aid in advancing a career and achieving goals because they will allow you to better communicate and express ideas as well as to work more efficiently with a team. You will become an all-around person that others can truly rely on, and, with persistence and effort, you may come to embody responsibility, curiosity, and perseverance to the people around you. Through my own leadership positions within my school’s band program I have already learned responsibility and interpersonal communication skills, but improvement is always possible. I have also known failure and disappointment, but it is my perseverance which has always lent me hope and allowed me to eventually realize my potential even when it feels like the odds are stacked against me.

Developing leadership skills before you enter the new and diverse world of college will provide the experience needed in order to console and fairly lead others, handle pressure, and organize events and schedules. Leadership is simply the confidence to have a say in your own life and to help others realize that they also have this potential. Regardless of where you believe you may stand, fear will only stand in your way because it is never too late to reach out and develop leadership skills of your own, skills that are necessary to achieve your greatest potential in college.