Leadership, as defined by Oxford Dictionary is the state or position of being a leader - a person who leads a group of people, especially the head of a country, an organization, etc.
However, the way we define leadership can be subjective. For every single one of us, leadership can mean something different. So, before we begin our journey of exploring leadership roles and activities we want you to spare a minute and reflect and answer these 5 questions for yourself:
What does leadership mean to you?
What characteristics does a good "leader" have?
Do you have those characteristics? Or do you want to learn those characteristics?
What is a hobby/activity/academic subject/social concern that you are passionate about?
What are some ways you can share that passion with others around you?
Once you have these questions answered, know that leadership comes in various forms and shapes. You do not need to be in a position of power to be a leader, you can lead anytime, anywhere.
"Every leader is a boss,
but every boss is not a leader"
- Amit Kalantri
The Concept of Everyday Leadership
Drew Dudley’s TED Talk on the topic of everyday leadership was presented at the TEDxToronto in 2013 and has garnered over 900,000 views on YouTube. In his talk, he explores the concept of “Everyday Leadership” by helping the audience refine leadership and the misconceptions surrounding the term. Here is a summary of his key points:
He suggests that to be a leader, one does not need to perform extraordinary acts or move a thousand people. Rather, the ability to impact even one person through minuscule, everyday gestures can be described as leadership.
He also coins the words “lollipop moments” through his personal experience. The idea behind this is the ability to make an impact on other’s lives through small unassuming actions. Furthermore, he emphasizes the importance of acknowledging these lollipop moments as we can become more aware of our capacity for leadership and inspire others to do the same.
Dudley argues that leadership is a choice we make in the moment, not a title or position. Anyone can choose to be a leader by taking action when an opportunity arises to help or support someone else.
Talking about Leadership in college Applications
Add it To your resume
You can add all your leadership activities and endeavors to the "Leadership" section of your resume. List all the leadership positions and roles you have held throughout your high school. You can include positions in school clubs, student body councils, sports teams and clubs, community service organizations, or any other extracurricular activities where you demonstrated leadership skills. You can briefly describe your role and the responsibilities you undertook and the results it yielded.
Add it to your activities section in the common app
Another place you can highlight your leadership activity is the "Activities" section of your Common Application. Here, you can provide a brief description of each leadership position you've held, laying particular emphasis on the impact you made as the leader and the skills you developed or honed through the process. You can mention any specific initiatives you undertook or projects you led, and also highlight the plan of action you devised to yield results.
Talk about your experience in your college essays
If there are experiences you want to talk about in-depth, you can make use of your college essays. You can select an impactful leadership story or project that helps you showcase your ability to lead, motivate, and inspire a group of people. You can further go into the details of the challenges you faced as a leader, the measures you took to overcome them, and the lessons you learned while doing so. Essays give you more space and opportunity to talk about your experience in detail, so, make sure you make the most of the opportunity to highlight how your leadership experience has contributed to your character growth.
Ask your teachers to add it To your Letters of recommendation
To provide some external validation to your claims of being a good leader, you can ask your teachers to highlight some of your leadership experiences in your letters of recommendation. You can personally ask them to share some specific examples of your leadership initiatives. You can also brief them about these initiatives beforehand to help them write a more detailed and personalized recommendation.
Bring it up in your college interviews
Bring it up in your college interviews college interview, and make sure you talk about your leadership experiences. To make your claims more believable, ensure you're sharing specific instances and examples of how you demonstrated leadership in different situations. You can talk about the challenges you encountered and how you worked your way around them, leading people to the finish line, and yielding results. You can also address how these experiences influence your personality and make you a good fit on campus.
If you’re looking to apply to international universities or exploring overseas higher education options, The Headmaster Consulting can help you narrow your selection while keeping track of your requirements for your financial needs while tracking overseas education options. If you want personalized roadmaps to your dream universities, get in touch with our consultants to help you build your profile and applications.
Comments