Leadership skills not essential to being successful in college by Rebecca

Leadership skills not essential to being successful in college by Rebecca - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

Leadership skills are thought to be a key component to success in college, but it is a misconception. Although these skills would help carry a student through the rigorous courses and experiences of higher education, they are not what makes a student successful ultimately. All of us students have completely different qualities that contribute to our success. Where one might be strong in one area, another may be prominent in another.

There are so many introverted people out there that still acquire success. Even though they struggle to lead a group more than others, their other qualities can balance them out. I am a firm believer in accentuating one’s best attribute and if that isn’t leadership skills, why force it? Instead, I think one should use their best qualities to their advantage and keep improving in those. I think the reason this misconception exists is because when most people think of college, they pigeon hole it. They think about the business side of college and fail to recall all the creativity and innovation needed. If there is passion and drive, that is really all one needs to succeed in college. If someone is completely invested in whatever they are doing, that is when results emerge. A student may be a great leader, but without innovative ideas, the skill is not as useful.

Students do not need to be experts on leading a group, they just need to know how to get their ideas and thoughts out there. We live in a creative world that is always looking for new things and there are many ways to socialize new things without having to be a strong leader. Having leadership skills is not essential to being successful in school.