Leadership

         The final value I selected to write about for my blog is leadership.  The reason why leadership is so important to me is because of some of the positions I have held in the course of my life.  Leadership in my opinion is being able to be a role model to others around you and actively participate to reach a common goal.  I think the quality of a leader is determined by their ability to listen to the ideas of people around them, make quick decisions that benefit the group, delegate different tasks, and use the strengthens of people around them.  When you are a leader you become someone that people turn to with questions or concerns in a time of need and I think that brings a great deal of responsibility.  I think as a leader you need to be confident with the decisions you make and stand up for what you believe is right.  Often times as a leader you become the face of an action, movement or belief, which takes bravery ad well as courage.

            I would argue that my different sports teams and extra curricular activities influenced the development of this value because of the “hands on” experience.  I think the best way to learn is by getting out of the classroom and participating.  Soccer played such a significant part of my life that I really couldn’t help but learn from what I was constantly doing.  Away from sports I think my father had the most influence is shaping my leadership skills because of the great leader he is.  My dad knows how to appeal to a large crowd and can make anybody feel welcome, which is something I would like to work towards.     

            As for what has developed my value of leadership I would have to give credit to multiple aspects of my life.  I think primarily as a captain on my club soccer team for eight years I learned at a young age what it took to be a leader.  As a captain, I would start practice and be someone the coach would turn to for input on substitutions or different formations to use.  I really appreciate what my coach did by giving me so much responsibility because it changed how I carried myself on and off the field.  I think I really refined my leadership skills through high school and club soccer because it taught me how to use my voice as well as my ears to be an effect leader.  Switching gears slightly, all four years of my high school I was involved with a program called TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More) and was a leader for other (usually younger) students on a variety of field trips and team building activities.  As a leader for these groups I would be in charge of 12-15 students as they completed different challenges throughout the day.  Through this program I saw what it was like to be a leader for younger students and got it see what it was like to really be looked up to and admired.

            I think leadership is the number one quality employers should be looking for when hiring because you know that person will be able to get along with other people and work for the best interest of the team.  If I were to become a teacher I would be leading students every day in the classroom and would have to find ways to make material relevant and fun each day.  I am hopeful that I will be a successful teacher because of my leadership abilities.