FREE ESSAY ON LEADERSHIP

LEADERSHIP

This is the essay that got me into the National Honors Society and it was based on
leadership skills. I took out
some detials and others can fill in the appropriate details 
But of a good leader, who talks little: when his work is done, 
his arm fulfilled, they will say 'Our work is done.' -Lao Tse 
One of the standards of the National Honors Society is that of leadership. Members are
expected not only to
strive to improve their social environment, but act as a role model, and influence his or
her peers in a positive and
responsible manner. Students must also balance assertiveness with a compassionate heart.
Through my
experiences as an editor on the newspaper and captain of the {ENTER SPORTS TEAM HERE], I
believe that I
demonstrate the NHS ideal of leadership. 
As editor of {POSITION} for the school newspaper, I have learned to handle my position
with authority
while gaining the respect of the staff. Every month, the editors of the newspaper are
expected to put out a
newspaper for the student body that meets the high standards set by past editors.
Needless to say, there is little
room for error during the process and it is up to us to show the staff initiative and a
no-nonsense attitude. 
Recently, I was put in the position of demonstrating authority with one of my peers when
a very important article
on Founders' Park was chosen for the front page. The writer of the piece had to be pushed
and prodded and it
was my responsibility as an editor to not only help her with the article, but keep her
from skipping out of class
when she should be working on the story. Through my experiences with the school newspa- 
per, I have learned that leadership, one of the ideals of NHS, means getting the job done
successfully and in a
responsible manner. 
There is also another side of leadership that is often overlooked, yet I came across it
while captain of the
{SPORTS TEAM] We had the potential and talent to have a wonderful season, but inner
conflicts and personal
problems got in the way. Finally, I realized that it was time to take the initiative and
show my teammates that we
were not only a team, but a family and would always be there for each other. I held a
meeting one day after
school and my teammates and I shared what we each thought was troubling the team and how
we could solve
these problems. As the season progressed, the team saw success and at the Championship,
every athlete
started and finished the grueling 3.1 mile course for the first time in two years. 
While leadership does require taking a stand to guarantee success, it is also calls for a
compassionate heart,
someone who is willing to take time out to insure the happiness of those who follow. I
have learned many
lessons while holding my positions at [SCHOOL} and feel that I have demonstrated through
my accomplishments
the National Honor Society ideal of leadership.