Introduction
Leaders guide and encourage people around them, and the importance of good leadership in a team cannot be overlooked. To be a leader is to be a person who is capable of communicating their ideas and solutions, to have exceeding intelligence or be a great problem solver is not enough (Zaccaro, et al. 4). In order to become a leader, one must be able to read the environment; for example, in particular social systems, leaders are chosen based on their dominant abilities. In other systems, generosity and sensitivity can be viewed as more valuable (Zaccaro, et al. 4). Therefore, a good leader is defined as a person with immense communication skills who is capable of adapting or choosing an environment where their ideas will thrive. In my personal experience, being a leader can contribute to one’s personal development by giving them practice in quick decision-making, improving their communication skills, and boosting their confidence.
Personal Achievements as a Leader
In my opinion, a leader is somebody who does not simply focus on one aspect of their community’s life. My personal experience as a leader concerns both mental and physical health among people around me. Both mental and physical health are important for one’s overall health and personal growth, and that is why I concentrated my efforts on those aspects of people’s lives.
Regarding mental health, my achievements are as follows: first of all, I have created a type of hotline for children suffering from depression called story_anonyme. The necessity of this measure was definite as in most Haitian households; depression is considered some form of luxury. By many people being depressed is viewed as a display of self-indulgence, and people who have it are seen as spoiled. In the first two weeks of employing this initiative, I talked to approximately 30 to 40 local children and adolescents. The subject of our conversations varied from problems they faced at home and school to mental illness. Further down the line, due to the increasing number of resorts, I had to create a whole management team to answer calls and personal messages. This experience taught me the most about resource allocation and how to relay knowledge to other people, to motivate and encourage them.
As to physical health, I have created ways for local children to stay in shape and participate in a social activity in the form of soccer tournaments. These events took place during summers from 2016 to 2018. This experience provided me with a better understanding of my communication skills and how to develop them further, as well as increased my confidence. It helped me understand that being a leader means being empathic and supportive, not simply goal-oriented.
As a leader, I could provide the Honors community with the same diverse and thorough approach I have displayed during my work with members of my local community. My experiences have taught me a lot, and I will do my best to use this knowledge to provide for every one of my communities. I believe that every leader’s responsibility is to take action when needed.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a good leader is a person who can both adapt and assess their environment so that their ideas can succeed. Being a leader develops a certain set of skills that could contribute to further personal growth and the growth of people around them. The character traits that a leader has to have are diverse and depend greatly on what goals they have in mind.
Work Cited
Zaccaro, Stephen J., et al. “Leader Individual Differences, Situational Parameters, and Leadership Outcomes: A Comprehensive Review and Integration.” The Leadership Quarterly, vol. 29, no. 1, 2018, pp. 2-43.