Why I Am A Leader

I have learned from fellow classmates and peers on how to become a selfless leader and follower thinking of others above myself. Throughout my four years of high school, I’ve been a part of many clubs, some that I am still involved in and some with important leadership positions. My main motive in getting involved with my community and school is to improve our school and community. In AFJROTC I have done over 250 hours of community service just within ROTC and have done over 1,000 community service throughout my community and school. I believe in selfless actions to help benefit my neighbor and peer to overall make us both superior. I am currently the Steele’s National Honors Society President, a Flight (class) commander and squadron (leader of all flights) commander, Business manager for 2017-2018 Squire magazine, Class of 2018 reporter (class officer). I have key positions in many clubs and organizations that have over this year improved and exceeded expectations. As I am a Leader, I have learned to become a respected, caring, strong-willed, straight forward, and reputative leader. I learned this mostly from the direction and teaching of Steele High School making me the leader I am

“As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others” according to Bill Gates, while John Maxwell tells people that “Leadership is influence - nothing more, nothing less.” Neither of them completely capture leadership, but at the same time, neither of them are wrong. To be a leader, one must empower and influence those they lead in order to get the results they want. Neither one mentions that a leader must be confident in themselves and show others that they are confident with the decisions they make for themselves and others. As president of the Italian National Honor Society at my school, it is my job to promote excellence in the course, as well as in the community. Since our society values giving back to the community, we put an emphasis on community service. Many of the other students in the society worried about completing their hours. I showed them that they did not need to worry about getting their service hours by completing all of my required hours for both National and Italian Honor Societies before the end of November.

Another quality of good leadership is the ability to inspire others, and tutoring kids after school have greatly improved my abilities of

Using my leadership qualities to encourage others and uplift their abilities to their fullest potential will create a successful year for National Honor Society. Taking a leadership role in my freshman and sophomore year as a treasurer in Student Council has benefited my outlook of what it means to be a leader. As a treasurer, it’s my duty to have a clear vision of what is desired to be completed to benefit the whole class of 2019. I got out of my comfort zone and made a positive difference. I have continued to take up my leadership roles by running for officer positions and taking initiative by becoming chairpersons for multiple committees in student council. I built up confidence that leads to embracing change to council to benefit everyone’s participation and working

I have always known I love change, but from this class, I learned change is the hallmark of a leader. As John C. Maxwell says in The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, “Growth = Change.”The leadership assessments allowed me to understand myself in a new way. Because I am a curious green thinker, I need explanations and answers to understand my world. I tend to see the big picture of a project and my mind motivates me toward something new or improved. I am curious about new opportunities because I easily become bored with routine. Learning I have these characteristics has increased my confidence to pursue future leadership roles in a small to a mid-sized position.

In the Leadership Challenge, 4th edition, it is Kouzes & Posner (2007) intention to present a road map for individuals to follow on their leadership journey. The authors stress that “leadership is not a gene and it’s not an inheritance.” Leadership they assert is “an identifiable set of skills and abilities that are available to all of us” (p. 23). They make clear that the “great person” theory of leadership is “plain wrong.” Leaders are our everyday heroes who do extraordinary things on a regular basis (p. 23).

Firstly, in my Academic Career, I have held a multitude of leadership roles. My sophomore year , I was a class representative for Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America, commonly known as FCCLA. It was my duty to alert members and keep them up to date regarding meetings and activities. As a representative of FCCLA, I learned how to work as a unit leader and a team member.That same school year, I ran for the district office of secretary for FCCLA. The nomination and election process, gave me the opportunity to grow and nurture my leadership abilities. It was eminently challenging; but I learned the importance of discipline and hard work. I accomplished my goal and was nominated Secretary for FCCLA. This office allowed me to meet plenty

Throughout my high school career I have been a part of a wide variety of programs in which my leadership characteristics have been used and expanded. One program I have thoroughly enjoyed is the Jacksonville’s Mayor’s Young Leaders Advisory Council. From being on this council for two years, I have grown more than I imagined I would. I have been the chair for two committees, made business connections, gained experience in law, and been made open to other viewpoints. I have also lead in a more personal setting, as I was a preschool teacher at my church and have been a leader of community groups. What I have taken from being a leader is that it continually challenges you. Even if you may be an expert in your field, you will always find there is something new to experience and learn for yourself. To be a part of Florida Southern’s Honors Program would mean that I would not only get a one-of-a-kind experience in academics, but I would be shaped and well-rounded in leadership so I could excel in my

Being a leader is not considered a job or position. Becoming a leader is not a talent, job or position. Although, leadership can be rewarding and difficult at the same time. In today’s society, “the kind of leadership necessary to move social movements forward is very different from the type of leadership required in a military setting, especially on the battlefield. A more sharpened focus on leadership processes versus individual leader traits and behaviors deepens our understanding of the complexities and interactive nature of leadership” (Komives, Lucas and McMahon 2013, 46). My goal is to understand how to face the complexities in life as a leader to communities, universities, organizations, the workplace and the world. As a leader,

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

One experience I have had is getting to take part in peer coaching. In that class, I assist the Special Ed students with their school work, and help show them how to behave in class. When I explain to other students what the class is, they almost always say “I want to do that”. As an introverted leader, this is how I demonstrate my influence. I affect others by setting a strong example. I result to me taking this class, I am not just helping others who need

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.

Being a leader has always been extremely important to me. The past few years I have held many leadership positions to deepen my skills as a leader. Some of my most notable leadership positions of high school were that I was the secretary of my class, the secretary of my school’s National Honor Society, a member of the Youth Council for the Teen Leadership Corps, and a Student Ambassador for my high school. I have recently been chosen as a Peer Leader for the College of Business Administration (CBA), meaning that I will be available to help incoming freshman with whatever they may need as they make the transition to college. I was also chosen by the dean to give a speech at one of the largest high school visits for the CBA in order to inspire students to choose to come to Bowling Green. This was a very important experience for me because I had many high school seniors come up to me after the speech and ask me questions and reached out for advice from me. It is important to me that people value my advice because I believe that giving good advice is an imperative part of being a leader.

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.

When reflecting on my experience as both a student and a life learner, I never would have considered myself a leader. In fact, I have always been the shy kid who hides in the back of the class and panics whenever it is their turn to respond to a question. College however provided me with an opportunity to develop myself as a leader. I became more active in school activities and actively sought out leadership roles. As I’ve progressed in my professional life, I’ve become more interested in what it takes to make a strong leader. When assuming leadership roles, I’ve always considered myself an authentic leader but I know I’ve often struggled in detailing clear goals for my group or organization. Thankfully, Enrolling in the effective