| Teen Voice : Leave your legacy |
 March 01, 2012 By Kayleigh Schadwinkel |
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 Too often in life we become afraid of being seen as different. Too often in America, we become too content with being quiet than actually speaking out for what we believe is right. Too often, we would rather follow others plan for us than actually being the leader of our own destiny. Leadership, it is a dying quality in America. Many of us have the ability to become a great leader, but few dare to obtain it. Why? I think there are a few reasons that keep us from achieving our ultimate potential. We allow other’s opinions to veer us off the path we planned to travel on. We become afraid of the judging eyes of others instead of just following our dreams. If we flip through the pages of time, we only remember the individuals who left their mark on societies, for the better or even for the worse. I encourage you to live your life in a way that you leave a positive mark on your society and to show leadership. I was asked to give the leadership speech for our National Honor Society inductions; here are some attributes I came up with. One first must be willing to LEARN. The first step to leadership is to surround yourself with good, quality people to learn from them. By doing this, we can obtain some of the best advice from people who have gone through similar experiences that we ourselves maybe enduring. From their wisdom, we can learn how to EVALUTE and solve future problems and to become wiser. Taking the time to learn from others will only benefit our future. After we learn and evaluate, we must become AGGRESSIVE and eager to see ours dreams turn into our reality. Leaders are dedicated and work hard to achieve their goals, but in order to do this, they must become comfortable with themselves and who they are, to allow themselves the freedom to dare to be different. Many of our greatest leaders left their mark on the world through their desire to be different. They dared to expand their surroundings, risked their reputations and egos in order to do something no one has ever done before. Because of these individuals, they took a risk to make a change, to take a stand, and in the end, they impacted their world. For example, Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream, “that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” This man eventually would sacrifice his life to see true brotherhood in America. In addition, Martin Luther King, Jr., once remarked this quote which leads me to my next attribute, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” People will always show their true colors in times of hardship, but great leaders are ones who ENCOURAGE others no matter what the situation may be. These people sacrifice their time, energy, and even their lives, in order to help others achieve their greatest potential. Once all these other attributes have been fulfilled one can then by seen as a REAL ROLE MODEL. “The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority,” a statement said by Kenneth Blanchard. Leaders have a way of impacting their classmates, co-workers, and many more, because they ARE who they say they are. They walk the talk and they stand out because they are real. Also, they become involved in their communities, because they care. Leaders are selfless. They aren’t in it for the glory, but to make a difference in a life, our community, and even, our world. Learn + Evaluate + Aggressive + Different + Encourage + Real=LEADER. I encourage you to leave your legacy; because you are never too old or too young to become a leader. I conclude my article with this quote once remarked by John Quincy Adams which sums up a leader best, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then you are a leader.” |
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