I Had Became A Leader

There have also been people who have motivated me to be a leader, especially my high school orchestra director. At the end of my junior year, my director called me into his office and told me he would be moving me from the first violin section to the second violin section. He said he knew I was quiet in the back of the first violin section, but he could see I possessed the leadership skills necessary to sit in the front of the second violin section. This really motivated me to try and make him proud the next year at the front of the section. Many different aspects of my life have affected my leadership philosophy.

Being a leader was never my strong suit, but I often put myself in situations that required me to improve. I would frequently see my younger family seeking advice but were often discouraged since they felt uncomfortable asking their elders. This led to me becoming their mentor because I experienced similar issues first due to being a first generation student.

My personal experiences of leadership started when I was younger, roughly 7 years old, I was elected the captain of my travel soccer team. At the time I didn’t think much of it, nor did I have any extra duties that I was explicitly told that I needed to perform. Later throughout the season, I started to notice my teammates mimicking my styles and techniques and I highly enjoyed this feeling of being looked up to. I didn 't realize until years after that the recognition and pride I felt was leadership. This privilege of being captain was the first time I had realized that people weren 't necessarily following my actions because I was extraordinarily skilled, but because I provided this role model status with my confidence and encouragement. Some of the most valuable leaderships traits that I acquired and fortified are:

As an introvert, I never believed that leadership would be my cup of tea. Quiet, observant, soft-spoken. Those are not the traits of a leader...or so I thought. Then, I journeyed to Europe for 20 days with People to People to become a Student Ambassador. Meeting a Parliament member in England and representing The United States of America to a group of German students opened my eyes to the world of leadership and showed me how capable of leading I truly was. Entering my sophomore year of high school, I was selected to be a National Honor Society Member, the Vice President of the Beta Club, and a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society. While all of the leadership positions I’ve experienced have been extraordinary and eye opening, the most significant

I have always strove to be the person that others looked up to. I never knew how to do that though. Until one day, one of my friends, a person I idolized, became an American Quarter Horse Youth Association Director. Ever since that moment I knew how I was going to leave my mark, and expand as a leader. Becoming someone fit enough for this leadership role was not an easy task.

Growing up I was always told to be a leader and not a follower, and as a child I did not think much of that saying. However, in recent years I have begun to grasp what it truly means to

Students before me, with me, and even after me has taught me many skills on how to be a leader. I remember a time, when I was in 3rd grade,

Throughout my high school, I have been able to not only be led but also being a leader myself. I have been a part of high schools drill team for three years and of course every year I have had a group of leaders that help us throughout the year with our personal goals and struggles. This was my one of my first experiences with having a leader and it truly became what inspired me to become a leader myself. I joined the Latino Student Union my junior year and became the secretary/representative officer my senior year. Within these involvements, I have learned what it takes to be the best leader you can be and which ones I value the most.

For many years, I have been told by teachers, family, and friends that I am a good leader. Until fairly recently, I had never truly thought about what it means to be a good leader and just took it as a compliment. Leadership is an intangible concept which cannot be properly outlined in a dictionary, but one which must be formed and explained only through one’s own philosophies and experiences.

Leaders do not appear out of nowhere they have to learn from past leaders or role models. To be a leader you must obtain the skills that will help you to teach and lead others. These skills include a strong work ethic, honesty, hard work, integrity, confidence, creativity, and respect for others. Leadership is mostly learned through experience and sometimes failure. As a leader I believe that leading others is not about telling them what to do, or taking control, but being a role model and an inspiration as what to strive to be. This year, through AFJROTC, I have been given the opportunity to lead a small group of other cadets to organize the JROTC 5K. I learned the skills to lead other by following the lead of past leaders. There have been

Throughout high school, I have always been involved in numerous clubs and organizations; however, I never took the initiative to be a leader in any activity until my senior year. It wasn’t that I lacked the motivation or the drive to be a leader, nor was it that I repulsed obligations or responsibilities. It was simply a matter of chance. Unfortunately, I would run for positions in clubs but I would never get elected- Vice President for the National Honors Society and Vice President for Student Council to be exact- causing me to question myself and my character.

When I thought of leadership, I thought of someone good at telling others what to do. Not much has changed about my quiet nature, but my take on leadership has changed drastically. In my high school art class, most of the kids were underclassmen. I befriended them and would always share my experiences and give them advice to help them succeed in high school. I encouraged them to do all their work and get involved in extracurricular activities for a more meaningful high school experience. I realize now that I was more of a leader than I thought. I unintentionally mentored my classmates, and at the same time lead by example because I did all my work and stayed busy being involved. I realize now that encouragement and example are very important aspects of

Throughout my entire life I have thought of myself as a leader, I was a quiet leader, but I still knew I was a leader and had an example to set. The first time I had ever received recognition for my leadership was at my eighth grade graduation, in which I was presented an award from the Nights of Columbus, for leading and setting an example throughout the years. At the time, I was humbled and quite shocked to receive the award. My life continued on and then my sophomore year of high school was coming to an end, and I made the decision to run for a position in student senate. With two representatives from each grade, we were viewed as the leaders. After giving my speech to my peers and waiting for the voting results, I found out that I was elected

There are many kinds of leaders; some lead through position and authority, while others lead through inspiration and vision. Some people are simply natural born leaders. However, whether one was born a leader or has to become a leader, all great leaders spend time developing their traits. Similarly, when you train for a sport, you first learn to develop the fundamentals, and then you work to master and apply them. I’ve been told I am a born leader, but have always sought to improve my leadership abilities through experience. Maxwell states, “The learned leader; has seen leadership modeled most of life, has learned leadership through training, and has self-discipline to become a great leader” (Maxwell, 93). This statement is reflective of my experience during my military tenure, and what it means to me is; leadership must be developed in practice, as well as in theory.

“Nobody would look up to you because of who you are.” These words created ambivalent expectation for oneself future. Is it my skin color, my race, or my gender stopping me from becoming a leader? Through books, experience, and education, I learned a leader can be anyone and expressed in any way.