Senior Essay 34

Leadership is often seen as just holding a position of authority, such as captain of a team or president of an organization. But to me leadership is much more and carries weight. As a leader you are the set example for the people that follow and look up to you. In my senior year I was made captain of my school’s volleyball team, for me this was a huge jump from the position I had last year as just a member. Personally I’m not an outgoing person, so when I was chosen to be the team’s captain I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to lead. Throughout our games and practices I was at a loss because my team didn’t feel like we had a connection, which also affected our game play. I knew that I had to do something to bring us together, I tried to mimic how my previous captain led by talking in group huddles, and being loud and outgoing. Unfortunately that method didn’t work for me or my team, thus I decided to take a different approach and talk to each team mate before a game, asking them their goal for that certain game and what they need to do to accomplish that goal. This worked wonders for me because now I would know what to say to them personally when they are feeling down in a game and not doing their best. I also told them my own goals and each time I came closer to it I would show my excitement and tell them something like ” your next” or “you turn”. Those simple words helped encourage, while influencing them to encourage each other, this assisted in keeping our team morale up. The experience of being a volleyball captain boosted my confidence as a leader and helped me recognize that I don’t have to lead the same as others, and that simply putting in effort and leading by example is the type of leader I am. Having the honor along with the weight of being a team captain helped me be able to accept leadership positions such as Vice President of the National Honors society without worry of failure to do my job. My future will greatly benefit from the leadership I show now. As an architect I will need to be able to collaborate, be openminded, while still not being afraid of voicing my opinions. I plan to be very active in my group work as an architect and eventually open my own branch. I want to take the lead and make my team’s ideals come to life, make them feel heard while also choosing the best course of action for our clients. Being a good leader in this field will not only help me in the future, but also benefit the people who follow me. My ability to lead, take control of projects, have open and concise communication, think wisely/ quickly, and build relationships off of trust, will aid me in my future endeavors of success.