What is a leader? by Salma

What is a leader? by Salma - December 2021 Scholarship Essay

For most of my life, whenever someone never asks me how I am a leader, I usually think or reply that I am not one. This is the case because I dislike being the deciding factor or holding power over others. Which does not match up with the characteristics of a leader. Furthermore, I am a silent person, so that does not help my case. That is how I thought about leadership for the past eighteen years.

However, I recently read a series inspired by One Thousand and One Arabian Nights. In one chapter, it described two characters. It described the first character as someone who draws people in. It then described the second character as someone who moves people forward. The story at that point defined two different leaders: a charismatic leader and a supportive leader. This story made me reconsider how I have been a supported leader.

Often I am the person my friend goes to if they need to talk about things. For example, one of my friends would come to me talking about what they plan to do in the future. I would ask them questions such as, “What does the college you are going to offer,” or “which choice will make you more happy.” The questions I ask my friend help them consider their options and lead to their own decision. Other things in this category include people asking me for help with assignments, life skills, or general knowledge. Another type of way I am a supported leader is the “Take a Bullet” person. What I mean by this is that I do the action that others will not do for the sake of completing the goal. For example, at my school, we have competitions on Friday. Whenever the competition is a sport - there needs to be a girl playing. So I often step in for our house in order not to lose. This circumstance does not just include sport but other activities as well.

I know it does not seem like a lot, but it always makes me happy that people see me as reliable. For example, after a competition where we won, I heard someone say, “Dude, she carried the team.” I was happy because someone thought of me as reliable. A leader is someone who can use their ability for the betterment of others, whom you can trust to answer questions, or someone who supports others. That is the leader - no, the person I wish to be. Whenever I try to act like a charismatic leader, it never feels right to be the center of everything. What truly fits me is helping others find their path and supporting them to move them to live their best life.