What Leadership Means to Me by Reed

What Leadership Means to Me by Reed - May 2024 Scholarship Essay

Leadership to me means having a leader work together with your peers to solve a common problem. It is known that you have to have a leader to keep the "ship" operating smoothly. In the band at my school, I am the alto saxophone’s section leader and a predominant figure in marching band. When I was a junior, I had to lead many new students and teach them how to play and march. Many of the new freshmen had never been in a marching band, some of them never even in a regular band. So we spent rehearsals learning the music together and going over our parts. We did the same when it came time to march. I was asked once to demonstrate how to realign your footing if you’re off-foot during a parade. There was a fellow peer of mine named Owen who was new to marching and had a lot of trouble getting the hang of it. I had to work with him, even during the parade. We practiced turns, whistle commands, footing, instrument angles, and lots more. By the time of our second parade he had gotten it down, and now he is a great marcher.
My friend Samantha led me and the rest of our Drama Club for an entire year as the Drama Club President. She was a great leader and a representative of the people. She listened to the club and made the best decision based on what the club voted on. She consulted her other elected officials, and was always open to new ideas and possibilities. She would plan things for the club, including putting together a binder for future presidents and designing and ordering our club hoodies. Sam was such a great leader because she listened to the people and acted based on the majority interest.
I think that leaders are important because they guide their peers along the right path. A positive leader is not telling the person what to think, but merely helps them figure it out on their own. Good leaders listen and fight for their peers, and are always open to new ideas. Leadership is one person guiding others, yet still working with them to achieve the best possible outcome. Positive leaders make a huge difference in a community.