Every year millions of high school students apply for college. And every year, at least one of those colleges requires a leadership essay. Show
While you may have never served as a manager, fought against injustice, or led a rebellion, you have at least some inklings of leadership inside you. After all, one of the greatest fictional leaders, Daenerys Targaryen, didn’t think she was much of a leader at first either. The point of the leadership essay is to bring those qualities out and show you—and your readers—how you can be a mother of dragons, breaker of chains, and master of essays. So it’s time to stop looking up to other people—at least for a little while—and start seeing yourself in a new light. If you’re not totally convinced, I’ll help you dig deep and write a leadership essay that’s bound to lead the pack of other applications. What Is a Leadership Essay Anyway?“Leadership” by NY Photographic, The Blue Diamond Gallery (CC BY-SA 3.0)In short, a leadership essay seeks to do two things:
The best way to do this is to list characteristics that successful leaders have and show your reader how you exemplify these traits. Leadership essays, in general, are going to be pretty different than the essays you’re used to writing for class. Instead of focusing on literature, authors, or literary devices, leadership essays focus on your personal qualities. More likely than not, the first (and possibly only) time you’ll encounter a leadership essay is when applying to a university or for a scholarship. It seems a little unfair because you don’t have a whole lot of practice writing these types of essays, but that’s why I’m here. Let’s dive a little deeper into how to write your leadership essay. Elements to Consider When Writing a Leadership Essay“Followership” by Tranductrung2009, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)Now that you have a rough idea about what a leadership essay is, you can start writing it, right? Not quite. First, let’s review a few things you should keep in mind as you write. These elements will help you stay on track and find inspiration so that you can really wow your readers. Never miss a post. Get free weekly writing help delivered straight to your inbox!
Steps to Writing an Awesome Leadership EssayOkay, I know you’re itching to get to the good stuff. So here are all the details about how to actually write a leadership essay so that you can get started ASAP. BrainstormBefore you start trying to think of the specifics or the structure of your leadership essay, you need to know a little bit more about the leadership characteristics you have. Brainstorming techniques are perfect for helping you identify your leadership characteristics. Think about any leadership situations you’ve been in—the leader of a group project or sports team, any position within a school club, showing leadership among younger siblings. Really anything can be turned into leadership experience as long as you worked with other people. Keep in mind that you don’t have to be someone’s superior to be a leader. Let’s say for the sake of giving examples that Khaleesi herself was writing a leadership essay. Her brainstorming might include the following traits:
Having trouble coming up with a list? Try reading what other students have to say about their leadership in these example essays. OutlineOnce you have some ideas of what leadership qualities you possess, it’s time to start organizing them and creating the structure of your essay. Do you plan on writing one story or giving several different examples? Whatever the case may be, you’re going to have an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The difference is mainly what you do with the body paragraphs. Daenerys’s outline might look something like this:
Write your introductionYou’ll notice on the outline that I have a hook and thesis statement under the Introduction section. A hook is a way to get your readers’ attention and make them want to keep reading. Unlike your teacher who has to read your essay to give you a grade, admissions staff don’t have to read anything they don’t want to. So make sure your intro really hooks them and draws them into your essay. One of the best ways to write a hook is to start at the climax of your story. This shows readers the excitement of your essay and makes them curious as to how you got to that point. Other types of hooks might be to include quotes or clearly set up your story from the beginning. A thesis statement tells the reader what your leadership essay is really about. In this context, it’s just a mini-outline of your leadership essay. You can be more creative here than in other essays, so play around with it a little to see what feels right. Let’s see how Daenerys may write her introduction:
Can you spot the thesis statement? That’s right, in Daenerys’s thesis statement, she outlines the characteristics of leadership that she’ll address in the body paragraphs (loyalty, courage and determination, and balancing forgiveness and punishment). Write the body paragraphsThe meat of your essay is all in the body paragraphs. This is where you show your readers what a great leader you are. Use descriptive language and vivid examples. Don’t just say, “I show courage by doing this.” Instead, your descriptions of events should give the reader a clear picture of how you demonstrate courage, or any other leadership trait you have chosen. One of Daenerys’s body paragraphs could go like this:
Wrap it upThe final step is to write your conclusion. Let the reader know the impact your leadership has had on others or what you’ve learned about yourself in terms of your leadership. Here’s what Daenerys’ conclusion might look like:
See? It’s not that hard to write a leadership essay, is it? Here at Kibin, we consider our editors to be leaders. They fearlessly fight grammatical errors and work hard to make students’ essays shine. So if you’re not sure that your writing is up to par with that of a leader, we’re happy to take a look and make suggestions. Now take a good look at yourself and all the awesome leadership qualities lying within, and bring them out on paper. Good luck! Psst... 98% of Kibin users report better grades! Get inspiration from over 500,000 example essays. How do you write a personal leadership essay?How to Write a Powerful Leadership Essay. Define Good Leadership Before You Start. ... . Create an Outline. ... . Know How to Start a Leadership Essay. ... . Tell the Story in the Body of Your Essay. ... . Write a Compelling Leadership Essay Conclusion. ... . Read and Revise Your Leadership Essay. ... . An Essay That Makes You Proud.. What is a personal leadership statement examples?Leadership statement sample
"I believe that communication is a key component of effective leadership, which is why I will focus on listening to feedback and fostering honest communication between my team members. I will lead with integrity and support my staff as they work toward their professional goals."
How do I write about my leadership skills?How to Showcase Leadership Skills on Your Resume. Provide Examples. An average employer or recruiter gets hundreds of resumes for any given job position. ... . Quantify Measurable Results. ... . Use Leadership Skills Mentioned in the Job Description. ... . Include Words Associated with Leadership. ... . Highlight Communication Skills. ... . Bottom Line.. How do you introduce a leader essay?Leadership Essay Introduction: Leadership is defined by how well you lead a team into the goals and objectives set by you. Leadership is also defined by the clarity and quality of goals that you set for your followers. It is not easy being a leader. A leader is simply not someone who will please everyone on his way.
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