Leadership Essay

Writing a Leadership Essay

Writing Guidance:

Identify A Meaningful Challenge

Leadership examples are most compelling when the student writes about an issue that he or she feels is important.

Explain Your Role

Be a problem solver. Only you can write this essay. The successful essay shows how you are the only one who could fulfill this role.

Participate with Others

Explain how you interacted with others and how this interaction is a by-product of your leadership. Successful essays acknowledge the contributions of others but also show how the leader was able to utilize those contributions.

Demonstrate Outcomes

Your actions in solving the significant problem should show demonstrable impact, not just an increased awareness of the issue. Did you enlist and direct the participation of others? Did you build consensus? Did you raise money, and if so, how much? Who is being affected by your efforts? Rather than using generalities like “increased awareness,” offer definable and quantifiable outcomes.

Expand on Leadership

The leadership essay is about something other than occupying an office. Some of the most compelling examples are written when a student sees a problem and steps in with a solution. Holding an office does not necessarily make the student a leader.

Stay True to Your Experience

Students should avoid reframing non-leadership positions as leadership roles. Instead, they should focus on describing their responsibilities accurately and highlighting how those experiences helped them develop the skills, judgment, and readiness to pursue future leadership opportunities.

Highlight Your Accomplishments

Although downplaying your own achievements is admirable, it does not make for a persuasive leadership essay. Use your characters to demonstrate your leadership, not the contributions of others. There's no I in team.