Junior Scholar Institute: A Leadership Analysis

Becoming a leader is not natural for all, some people have to spend time learning what it

George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Martin L King Jr., just to name a few, all have one important thing in common, Leadership. Leadership is defined as ‘individuals who are the leaders in an organization, regarded collectively and the activity of leading a group of people or an organization or the ability to do this.’ As I think back on my past, I wonder “Have I demonstrated any leadership abilities?” Leadership takes on a big role in everyone’s life, from school to sports to raising a family or running a business. It comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Of course, I have not accomplished an impeccable act of leadership like the famous leaders mentioned; however, I believe I have put forth an effort.

Most of the time, I act as the leader in many activities such as group projects and class events. Additionally, I currently tend to the job of secretary of the sophomore class of 2020 with diligence and in an organized manner. Moreover, being a leader possesses more to its aspect because it is not only a role, but a lifestyle. Living this certain way assisted me in constructing my character and formed me into loyal, empathetic, accountable, determined, encouraging, respectful, selfless, honorable, innovative, and passionate student. In fact, it’s not about leading, it’s about serving our fellow peers to rise by lifting each other

Before now, I never really thought about being a leader. I always believed a leader was someone at the top, making decisions like a general in the army. The summit gave me a lot different perspectives on what a leader actually is. One thing that was said that really stuck with me was, “your college degree isn’t just for you. It is also for all those who come after you.” It was then that I really understood what a leader is. A leader is one who works their hardest to become the best person they can be, so they can set an example for others and help those who come after them.

Leadership is not something you are born

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 occupy my time in clubs and activities that both captivate my interest and are most important for my peers and me. These include but are not limited to my positions in Link Crew, Student Council, and Senior Board. They range from Senior Class Representative to Vice President. Many of my teachers and mentors have identified a characteristic of mine as a great leader, and I wanted to improve on these skills. I don't dominate discussion or action, I simply guide it. I take all of my positions seriously and always bring my best attitude; my leadership methods distinguish me from other

Throughout my time as a young adult I have had countless amounts of people tell me that they see me as a leader. They told me that I have the traits and the skills of someone who can have success in leadership positions. Truthfully, I never really understood what they meant. I knew that I was a good public speaker, but I never really understood what else I had. In high school I was always put in leadership positions whether it was an officer of the National Honor Society or captain of my sport teams, but I never really understood what drove me to attain those positions. I continued my quest for leadership positions in high school with every student organization I joined. Whether it was Pi Kappa Phi fraternity or Dance Marathon I felt the need to prove to others that I can more than just a member, but a leader. It wasn’t until I took this class that I truly understood what made me a leader. Because of this class I was able to better understand what are my leadership traits, my leadership styles, and how I use those in order to attain and succeed in leadership positions. Throughout this paper I will explain how Career Leadership Academy allowed me to realize what made me a leader and analyze the ways to improve at my future leadership positions.

A true leader stands high on on the pillars of success: dedication, servitude, respectability, and honesty. The mark of a fulfilled life is not one who has collected many awards, not one who has an insurmountable amount of money and fame, it is one who has touched the most souls in his journey of life. A leader destined for greatness will touch many people along their journey to the top. In my short years on this Earth I have made it my mission from the start to leave a lasting impact on everyone I come in contact with and as a student of Howard University I will continue my mission without fault. From birth my parents noticed I had an insatiable thirst for knowledge, a heart of gold and an unconquerable ability to lead. In the 5th grade I was awarded the

A leader takes diligent time in considering the ability to adhere to other people’s interests and presents their followers with a positive mindset. This summer, I accepted an invitation to participate in the Dale Carnegie Young Adult Leadership Program. Attendees of this program learned several skills that can be applied to future experiences, especially on how to become an effective leader. Everyday, the attendees acted as leaders by accomplishing various tasks that forced them to reach out of their comfort zones. We acted as leaders by leading group

Have you ever been in a situation where you had to take charge, and take on leadership roles in a short period of time? Some people may say that not everyone can be leader. Some also believe that leaders are born with the necessary qualities, which make them successful as a leader. Others believe that leadership, like many other character traits, can be learned and developed through life. The debate depends on how you define leadership, if you ask me. A leader can be made in certain situations of survival. It can range from promoting what is right to perform social changes, or just to execute their own ideas. When you are a leader you gain a certain sense of independence, and pride to that you started something. Therefore, when it’s finished you get to show people that you were able to accomplish all of this.

What matters the most is what you do day by day over the long haul, explains the author. If you continually invest in your leadership and let your ‘assets’ compound, the inevitable result is growth overtime. While some are born with greater natural gifts than others, the ability to lead is really a collection of skills, with nearly all of which can be learned and improved. You can be a good leader if you want to, since everyone has the potential to be one, you just have to understand that you can’t accomplish it overnight. Leadership is complicated and has many facets, and it takes a lot of ‘seasoning’ to actually an effective leader. Whether you do or don’t have the natural ability for leadership, the author states that in the development and progress process probably occurred in the following four phases: Phase 1 being ‘I don’t know what I don’t know’ here a person doesn’t realize how valuable leadership is and believes it’s for people up the corporate ladder thus passing up the opportunity to learn how to lead. Phase 2 is ‘I know what I don’t know’ here you begin to realize the importance of learning how to lead and the learning process begins’. Phase 3 is ‘I grow and know and it starts to show’, in this phase you realize you lack skills and begin daily discipline of personal growth in leadership. In phase 4 ‘I simply go because of what I know’ is when you’re knowledgeable and your ability to lead

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.

“Are leader born or made?” I still remember the first time I had to seriously ponder that question. It happened in August of 2011. I was roaming through a roomful of tables showcasing all the extracurricular activities of my new community college. Suddenly, I stopped in front of a table with a one-word poster: “L.E.G.O.”. What attracted me to that table was the feeling of familiarity of the word to my native language, Spanish. It is not really a word in Spanish and at that time, I didn’t know if it was an actual word in English. When I finally got near the table somebody gave me a brief overview of what LEGO was and told me I could fill out an application and write a short essay. The question of the essay was “are leader born or made?” and I decided to give it a shot. That was the day I officially began my quest in finding out who I was as a leader. Today I believe leaders are made and not born because my experience in life has shown me that being a leader is more than having an extrovert personality is about being able to learn, recognize and follow great leaders, and learn to be a follower as well as a leader.

John Quincy Adams once stated, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” Throughout the years I have personally met students from different backgrounds and have bonded with teachers, community members and business owners. They know that I am a person with integrity, strong work ethics, trusting, responsible, and committed to my academics and my community. I believe these are the traits that make a leader and describes a person of honorable