Leaders are Only as Strong as Their Followers by Brett

Leaders are Only as Strong as Their Followers by Brett - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

Leadership skills are not necessary for success at the collegiate level. How many successful graduates would you say are leaders? How many people in the work force? Having leadership skills is a desirable trait but is not a requirement for college success. For group work in college and a job in the future, sometimes it is better to contribute behind the scenes rather than to assert yourself as a leader.

Visionaries such as Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, and Bill Gates possess outstanding leadership skills that many long for. We must not forget however, where would Jobs be without Wozniak? If Wozniak were a leader, would he have cut Jobs loose? Would Apple be one of the top companies in the world? Wozniak and Jobs were a perfect combination; one knew engineering and one had vision. Different skills, yet they made the most out of them in their symbiotic partnership. The same principle can be applied to college – a range of skills are needed.

People who possess the skills to lead will rarely sit back and follow. If there is a group of four students working on a project, nine times out of ten, the group with one leader and three followers will be a more efficient combination than the group of four leaders. Every bee hive has a queen, but without the worker bees there would be no hive at all.

There are plenty of college students who attain success without having natural leadership abilities. There are no two identical college students with the same characteristics and skills. This is a good thing. College is a melting pot of a diverse group of students each looking to use their individual skills to the fullest potential.

Students can be successful in college by taking advantage of their own, unique skills. If someone is a math whiz, then they can solve equations for a living and not be asked to do anything more. Everyone was meant to be a part of the big picture. Some were born with skills to lead and some were meant to assist. Although leadership skills are very desirable, they are not necessary for success at the college level. The only absolute requirement for every student is to be yourself and use your skills to the best of your ability.