Leadership Synthesis Essay

Coming into college, I knew I wanted to become involved in the campus community and student organizations. However, I did not expect to step into a leadership position during my freshman year. My two first leadership positions started my second semester at college, and I have stuck with them both throughout my entire undergraduate career. Leading for almost three years in these roles has allowed me to see transformation in my leadership skills. My skills have developed through engaging in additional leadership positions and my involvement in the Honors program.

Being an Honors student has pushed me to take on leadership roles and taught me more about myself as a leader. In Honors 201, I learned about leadership styles and individual strengths that I have as a leader. I took the Clifton Strengths Finder test which told me my top five leadership strengths. Learning these strengths not only boosted my confidence but also motivated me to capitalize on my strengths when leading.

I learned that I can still be a leader even when I do not feel equipped or qualified. In each of my leadership positions, there were times when I doubted my ability to lead. I started leading a Bible study on campus during my freshman year. I initially felt that I didn’t know enough about the Bible and worried I wouldn’t have answers to questions that people would ask. This almost held me back from leading the study. In that same semester, I became a Student Ambassador, giving campus tours to prospective students. Again, I was only a freshman, so I was still getting adjusted to campus and learning my way around. I doubted if I knew enough about campus to lead a group on a tour. During my third and final year, I became president of NSSLHA, the student organization for my major. I had just decided to graduate a year early and hadn’t completed as many classes as most seniors. Although I was technically a senior, I still felt like a junior. I felt out of place at first and thought that someone who had been in the program for the full four years should be president.

In each of these scenarios, I overcame obstacles to pursue leadership. At times when I felt unqualified to lead, I looked back on my leadership strengths and drew my confidence from there. I tried to prepare the best I could for each experience and not compare myself to others. I learned that there will always be someone to whom I can compare myself and consequently feel inadequate. There will always be someone else who can do the job just as well or even better. However, this does not hold me back from leading. Instead, I learn from my weaknesses to better myself. I seek honest feedback from peers and other leaders. I will always have areas of improvement, and rather than dwelling on them, I use them to motivate me to become a better leader.

Through my variety of leadership experiences, I practiced different types of leadership. In my role as president of NSSLHA, I practiced delegative leadership, meaning I divided tasks among our executive board. As a Bible study leader, I practiced participative leadership, encouraging all members of the group to contribute and promoting open communication. These leadership experiences led me to form my own leadership philosophy. A leader is someone who can confidently guide others toward a common goal. Confidence in leadership is not dependent solely on the qualifications of the leader. Rather, confidence is drawn from becoming aware of one’s own leadership strengths and capitalizing on those. A confident leader can speak up when needed and listen to other team members.

In my future profession as a speech pathologist, I will often work on interprofessional teams. I anticipate that I will encounter all different types of leadership in my profession. Whether I am the one leading or receiving guidance, having experience with these leadership styles will help me adapt to whatever task we are trying to accomplish. Taking on leadership roles such as a Student Ambassador and leading a Bible study before I felt ready for them taught me that I can lead even when I do not feel equipped. This  will help me on my journey through graduate school and becoming a speech therapist.