Competitive spirit, a futuristic outlook, the desire to constantly learn, the ability to keep a sharp focus on the tasks at hand, and the gift of empathy are crucial characteristics of a leader. These qualities present themselves in the greatest leaders of the past, present, and most certainly in the future. These are hardly traits that many would expect to find in a teenager from a small town like Canton, Georgia. A teenage who changes their major faster than an electrician can change a lightbulb. Despite the static nature of my hometown, I use these various components of my personality to create change within myself. A common saying in my hometown, “ain’t nothin’ changes but the red light,” is an accurate way to describe my hometown, for the regressive atmosphere in the community left me feeling like a rat stuck in a cage. The desire of the people in my town to live life in the exact same way as their ancestors and their neighbors did not settle well with me, and within that frustration, I developed the leaderships qualities necessary to escape from such a mundane way of life. I don’t want to become a farmer or a real-estate agent like every other person in Canton. I want to study music, world history, Latin, international relations, and anything else that could expand my limits and horizons far beyond the 434 square miles of Cherokee County. I want to sing, I want to write, I want to connect with as many people as possible, and I want to learn something profound from every person I meet.
My desire to empathize with others in a meaningful way is what I want to be the lasting impression of who I am as a person. I display this strength by reading a room and providing support in any way necessary for those who surround me. The most important quality of being a leader is the ability to put the other members of a group at ease so they can perform in a healthy atmosphere. My contribution as a team member or leader is to be sensitive to the needs of others and make each of my peers feel praised in their triumphs and supported in their times of need. When I work to lead a group, my particular style of leading through empathy is by periodically checking in on my associates and being keen to notice when they are struggling, and by doing so, I am able to strengthen every link within the chain instead of tearing a group apart. I believe that my ability to empathize with others will break me out of the world I have always known, and it will thrust me into a vibrant setting in which I can connect with others and truly thrive.
