What Being A Leader Means To Me - Essay Example

What Being a Leader Means to Me\ Leadership is one of the most important characteristics an individual can possess. Not every individual has the qualities of a leader. I am a leader. Leadership for me means several things. First a leader can inspire confidence in followers. Secondly, a leader sets examples by actions, not words. Finally, a leader must admit to mistakes, and then move on by learning from them. I embrace all three of these ideals. I was the captain of my football team this year.

Not only did I inspire confidence, set example by actions, and learned from my mistakes on the gridiron, I managed to carry these traits over into my life off the gridiron. A good leader inspires confidence in their followers. When I was captain of the football team, my fellow teammates were confident in my leadership. When I would go over plays, my teammates knew I had the best interest of the team at heart. When my plays would be successful most of the time, my teammates grew more confident in my leadership.

I knew that I was responsible for successful plays. The whole team looked to me. That meant hard work on my part. In order to inspire confidence, I had to offer successful plays. This was accomplished by researching other teams, not to mention the hours of plays I watched on video. I put in hours and hours in order to inspire confidence from my teammates. The second part of being a leader is setting example by actions, not just words. My teammates and I had to endure grueling practices.

Some of my teammates might get injured and sit out on practices. I did not have that luxury. In order to set an example by action, I had to endure despite the pain, fatigue, and my body’s weakness. I had to continue in order to inspire my team. If I quit over an injury or fatigue, then I could never ask my teammates for one hundred ten percent, because I did not live up to that standard myself. If my teammates did twenty laps, I had to do twenty-one in order to prove I was a leader. I had to make every practice, or not expect my teammates to make every practice.

Actions speak louder than words. My leadership is an action orientated leadership. Finally, as a leader I did make mistakes. Sometimes my plays were not always successful. Instead of blaming a teammate, I would accept the responsibility. However, when I made a mistake, I would learn from that mistake. If a certain teammate could not catch the ball, I did not put him in the position to catch the ball. Every individual has weaknesses and strengths. I would play to the individual’s strength, or admit my mistake.

If I did not give one hundred ten percent, then I had to confess and move on. Mistakes are forgivable; not learning from them is not. When not on the football field, I try to take the lessons I have learned and apply them to my life. Whether it is academics, family, or friend orientated, I try to live like a leader. I want to be a man of integrity. I want to inspire confidence, set an example through action, and learn from my mistakes in every aspect of my life. Not many individuals have what it takes to be a leader.

I do have what it takes. I need to exploit my strengths and be the leader I know I can be. My idea of a leader consists of inspiring confidence, leading through action, and learning from mistakes. I am not perfect. This means my idea of leadership might not be perfect, but I am learning. I know that not everyone defines leadership in my way. I feel that is what makes a leader. Some who has a set definition of what a leader is comprised of, and then lives their life according to their personal definition.