Leading Without Being a Leader by Tyler

Leading Without Being a Leader by Tyler - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

There is a difference between using leadership skills and being a leader. Not everyone can or should be a leader. If everyone were a leader then no one would be happy because of the lack of followers. In fact, there would be more problems than solutions. Leadership skills can be used without having to be a leader in the eyes of others. That being said, leadership skills are definitely necessary for college success.

One important leadership skill is the ability to think for one’s self. Those who cannot think for themselves are nothing more than simple followers; they do whatever they are told. This big and important skill makes following a leader safe. If one can think of his or her self then he or she will not have to worry about if a leader is going to make them do good or bad things because he or she can decide on his or her own whether or not to do these things.

Secondly, people should not just worry about themselves. This is where the next leadership skill needed for success comes in: the ability to influence others. When a leader is making bad decisions and someone knows it, he or she needs to be able to stop that leader or the people following him or her. If one only worries about his or her self when something is amiss then that person could end up losing friends or family. He or she should try to influence the others to do the right thing and protect the group. By doing so, he or she could increase the chances of success in life for everyone around him or her. If everyone is willing to keep the group accountable by exercising this leadership skill then there is almost no way anyone of them would fall short of his or her goals.

If people can learn to use these leadership skills in college then success is almost guaranteed, not just for college but for life as well. These skills are ones that all people possess and have used at one time or another. Keeping that in mind, all people can be successful at college by using these skills that they already possess.