What Leadership Means to Me

What comes to mind when you hear the word leader? Martin Luther King, Jr., John F. Kennedy? According to Webster's Dictionary, a leader is "one who leads." After participating in the Leadership Program, I have learned that a leader is hard to summarize.

I entered the Leadership Program with a narrow mind. I thought that I knew the expectations of leadership along with everything that leadership entails. After all, how difficult could it be to persuade others to see your personal opinion and then, get them to follow your dreams? All one needed to do was be passionate about a cause and have good public speaking techniques. Little did I know, there is a lot more to being a leader than meets the eye. By participating, I was subjected to various leadership characteristics and practices: time management, conflict management, ethical and moral decision making, valuing diversity, and creative thinking.

From each of these sessions, I learned the most from the conflict management segment. It helped me to realize that no matter how efficient a leader is, there is no way to escape conflict when working with others. I also came to understand that these conflicts can be detrimental to the progress of a group. Thus, the leader must be able to ...

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...stereotypical leaders are famous, fame is not a necessity for leadership. Instead, a leader must posses a vision, be able to share his vision with others, and inspire his followers to take action.

Before the Leadership Program, I was not aware that I really had what it takes to be an efficient leader, but now I am confident in my leadership skills. In fact, the Leadership Program has inspired me to join various new leadership positions such as Student Development Council and Student Government Association when I attend college. The Leadership Program has impacted my future in whatever path I may choose down the road.