being a leader personal essay

Your Complete Guide to Writing a Compelling Leadership Essay

• Essay Writing Guides

True leadership lies at the heart of human well-being and success. Every positive step humanity ever took required great and responsible leadership. Therefore, people have studied leadership for many edges to unravel its different underlying factors. 

But how do you write a great essay that demonstrates your grasp of this sacred call? This post shares practical insights on how to write a leadership essay . Keep reading it to sharpen your skills in this assignment niche. 

What Is a Leadership Essay ?

Before proceeding to see how best to draft a perfect leadership essay, let’s answer the big question, “ What is leadership essay ?” A leadership essay is an assignment that falls under student application essays. This paper provides student admission officers with insight into your previous leadership experience. 

While this assignment appears to be specific, it acknowledges that the nature and perception of leadership can greatly vary depending on context and individuals. 

Leadership Essay Ideas and Topics

Selecting the best topics for your essays on leadership is vital. When composing this paper, you will focus on two main areas revolving around your leadership style and the memorable moment when you demonstrated leadership. Please note that these two areas usually overlap because while recounting that moment you demonstrated leadership, you will also show your leadership style. 

Whichever area you choose to focus on, use anecdotal evidence that proves the idea. Here, you can freely go with what feels best for you. Just ensure that the instance you use to demonstrate leadership is a real-life experience. This way, you will be best placed to choose a topic that makes your readers enjoy your paper.

How to Write a Leadership Essay

While this paper might sound like an introduction on leadership essay , it doesn’t mean you aren’t a leader or can’t lead people. So, how do you compose a killer leadership essay that impresses student admission officials? Here are ideas on how to write leadership essay that fetches good grades and makes a positive impression of your leadership potential. 

• As earlier hinted, you must research to choose a good topic that will impress your readers and portray you as an upcoming great leader.
• When writing about a leadership concept, take notes of some credible sources of information. Find out what others have written about that topic.  
• Outline your essay to organize all the details you want to include. This way, you won’t forget to include anything your readers need. 

Alternatively, you can check out past papers written on your chosen leadership topics. This way, you will have a strong basis for further expansion of your arguments and incorporating relevant ideas into your paper. However, remember to follow intellectual property laws to avoid plagiarism.

Formatting Your Leadership Essay

Your essay about leadership requires correct formatting to ensure everything flows well. Like other types of papers, leadership essays follow a five-paragraph pattern. It has an introduction, a body section, and a conclusion, depending on its word count or page limits.  

• Introduction: This section captures the reader’s interest, defines good leadership in relation to you, and directly addresses the given prompt.
• Body paragraphs: The body section gives some background information using anecdotes to describe your leadership style or moment.
• Conclusion: This finishing section is a compelling statement about your leadership attributes and capabilities. It also shows how you hope to apply them to your life and solve other people’s problems.

Tips for Writing a Leadership Essay

Do you want tips to help you write the best leadership essays that will garner good grades? Here are tips and insights to help you compose excellent leadership essays .

Define Good Leadership First

It would be best to define good leadership before proceeding. Take time to think about the best attributes that make one a great leader. Of these qualities you have figured out, which ones do you have? Outline the qualities you demonstrated in your memorable leadership moment. These attributes could be, but aren’t limited to:

• The ability to motivate and inspire others.
• Valuing others.

Lastly, review your list and select the traits you would wish to focus on. 

Moderate Your Humility 

Humility is an invaluable virtue that needs to flow through your papers. However, don’t overdo it when highlighting your leadership moment. So, draw the line between humility and self-humiliation. Just let your readers know what you did to benefit other people’s lives—period.

Don’t Use Another Person’s Voice and Style

When highlighting your leadership abilities and experience, remember to use your personal style and voice. Admission officers want to hear your voice and “see you” in the essay. Thus, allow them to see your personality in the paper the best way you know how to put it. You can use your reasonable sense of humor without overstepping boundaries. 

Tell a Story About Your Journey 

When addressing college admission officers, use your storytelling skills to describe your leadership journey. Give them an engaging story that shows them your true leadership potential. Your story should exhibit the traits you believe are instrumental in helping you lead others. The narrative should tell the readers about the following:

• That you faced a real-life challenge.
• How you solved the problem. 
• How your leadership style and potential have grown over the years.
• Any specific challenge or moment that has helped you grow in your leadership. 

Choose a Case in Which You Played a Key Role

Your leadership doesn’t necessarily mean you are always at the help of things or people. Instead, it means that you helped solve a problem that affected others. Thus, don’t fear highlighting a moment just because you were not calling the shots. Why? Because the officials are looking for the results you helped bring to the table and not necessarily the position you occupied in the story. 

Thus, you should focus more on the improved position others found themselves in after your intervention instead of the position you occupied. Also, don’t mind more about the story’s title, especially when brainstorming. If you tell an impactful story, the title will automatically fall in place. 

Acknowledge Other People’s Contributions

We said in previous sections that you should tell the reader more about your leadership skills and journey. Up to this point, so good. However, you shouldn’t become so egoistic that you assume you aren’t an island. Your personal statement should indeed be personal, but it’s better to remember that other people still have a stake in your journey. 

So, give other people their deserved credit wherever they contributed to your success. Credit others for their loyalty, hard work, and any insights they offer. This way, you will portray your leadership as inclusive and not a one-man army that gives all the credit to one man. 

Solve Problems

Lastly, your essay should focus on solving problems. There is no point in telling a long story if it doesn’t bring out this element. Why? Because leadership essentially solves other people’s problems. If this element is missing, then you were not leading. Most likely, you were merely occupying a position or exercising authority but not leading. 

Do you remember how you solved that issue on your team amicably? Did you negotiate peace between team members whose rift was threatening to tear the team apart? Then, tell it out because that is all the admission officers are looking for in the narrative. 

Leadership Essay Example

Nothing will power your leadership writing skills like a perfect example of leadership essay . This section has three excellent excerpts from the introductions, bodies, and conclusions of leadership papers. 

• Introduction 

The floor was full of press cameras and microphones ready to capture a critical event. The venue was filled with different types of furniture, leather seats, and the who-is-who in the media industry that could change the entire media industry. Until then, I never saw myself as a leader, although I knew that this event was bigger than me, a moment that I could positively influence for the benefit of everyone present.

Gaining experience is one of the pillars of growing up in one’s leadership journey. The reason is that leadership isn’t a theory or concept captured in the heads, arguments, or counterarguments of so-called leadership gurus. Instead, it’s about practical life engagements that solve people’s problems in the real world. Thus, experience is the best tool to provide leaders with the opportunities to face and solve problems, make sound decisions, and learn from their failures and successes. All great leaders cherish such experiences and use them to grow and develop their leadership. 

• Conclusion 

In my view, leadership is about solving problems and meeting people’s needs, period. That’s the big picture, and the rest are minor details. My ability to empathize with others and give them a helping hand instead of pointing fingers at them summarizes my leadership philosophy. I hope to use this drive to be on the solution side of life, to prescribe solutions instead of just describing and decrying problems. 

Final Word 

Do you want to boost your writing skills on the topic of leadership? We’ve created this post to give you valuable and practical insights to accelerate your leadership research and writing journey. We hope you will use them to compose a perfect essay on effective leadership .

• Academic Writing Guides
• Citation Guides
• Essay Samples
• Essay Topics
• Research Paper Topics
• Research Paper Writing Guides
• Study Tips and Tricks

Featured articles

Strategies for Writing a Great Problem Solution Essay

Composing an assignment on a problem and solution essay topic allows you to demonstrate your ability to resolve human challenges. It helps you understand human problems and how to be a part of the solution instead of allocating blame and pointing fingers. So, how do you compose a great problem solutions essay? This post has […]

Author: Marina Kean

True leadership lies at the heart of human well-being and success. Every positive step humanity ever took required great and responsible leadership. Therefore, people have studied leadership for many edges to unravel its different underlying factors.  But how do you write a great essay that demonstrates your grasp of this sacred call? This post shares […]

Leadership Essay

27 August, 2020

12 minutes read

Author:  Richard Pircher

As a college student, you must write essays on a regular basis since the latter is one of the most common types of home assignments. All this means is that in order to get good grades and be successful with writing the papers, you need to have a sound understanding of the structure. Additionally, what you should never neglect is the variety of essay types. Indeed, your essay will significantly differ from one type to another: description essay will most likely have a structure that is slightly different from an argumentative one.

What you may have already encountered in your academic life is the work on a leadership essay. Although it sounds pretty complicated and vague, it is mostly possible to master an essay on leadership. Below is a guide for you to get an insight into this particular essay type.

What is a good leadership essay?

A good leadership essay is the one in which the essay writer has fully covered the topic of leadership and understood its core ideas. More specifically, to end up with a flawless leadership essay, you will need to indicate what makes a person a good leader. For achieving the latter, you will most likely need to conduct research and trace how a particular person reaches his or her goals. In other words, the task is to discover which actions the person undertakes, what their followers say about him or her, and how the person organizes the work. So, a leadership essay implies providing real-life success examples and further revealing them.

Above all, a good leadership essay is the one that follows a precise, clear, comprehensive structure. Structuring your essay about leadership in the most coherent way leads to a win-win situation: you have fewer troubles and barriers to writing a brilliant essay, and your teacher is able to comprehend the essay easily. This guide is what you will need to refer to to get an insight into how the flawless structure for a leadership essay looks like and how it will let you take a benefit.

How to write a Leadership essay?

To write a leadership essay that stands out, you first need to brainstorm all the ideas that you have and come up with a topic for your essay. If you are struggling with this step, you may think of some of the most influential people, read about them, and find out what makes them unique. Or, you can pick any topic which is mentioned at the end of this article. After you have chosen an issue, it is time to structure your essay appropriately.

As you already know, an essay constitutes three essential sections: introduction, main body, and conclusion. Below is the more detailed description of each of the parts.

Introduction

Of course, your leadership essay introduction will always vary depending on the topic of the essay. However, you can always begin by stating your vision of leadership regardless of the topic. Additionally, to motivate the reader and instantly catch his or her attention, you may use a quote of a famous leader, or simply a quote which you find relevant to the topic. Be aware that you should avoid outlining the essence and the role of the leadership in your introduction; leave it for the body paragraphs.

What you may also do in your leadership essay is ask a question, which will most likely intrigue the leader. Or it will at least give your reader an overview of what you will dwell on  in your essay.

Body Paragraphs

You will need to divide the main body into 3-5 paragraphs to make the structure more comprehensive. What you have to do at this point  is  give your reader a sound understanding of your ideas. Therefore, try to fit each idea in a single body paragraph so that you do not confuse your reader. Do not hesitate to indicate your examples to strengthen your arguments. For instance, you may explain a fact that makes a particular person you are writing about a real leader.

Also, always stick to your thesis statement and don’t forget that the body paragraphs should reveal the parts of your thesis statement.

As you may already know, you need to restate your opinion and briefly summarize all the points from the main body in conclusion. For instance, if you wrote your essay on qualities of an effective leader, state the most fundamental qualities and indicate why they matter the most. Besides, try not to copy what you have already written in the body – it is better to restate your opinion using different words. And, of course, beware adding any new and extra information; indicate only those points that you have already outlined in the text. Finally, keep in mind that it is always favorable to keep your concluding remarks short.

Leadership Essay Examples

Writing a leadership essay requires some research and time. In case you feel the necessity to go through an essay example, below is a leadership essay sample you can refer to.

Is leadership an inborn or an acquired feature?

Is everyone capable of becoming a leader, or is this ability innate? A lot of researchers have been struggling to answer this question. One assumption about leadership implies that the leader is the person who possesses particular characteristics. Another assumption claims that leaders are capable of acquiring specific features over their life span. As the evidence shows, leaders own many features that distinguish them among others and make more and more people become their followers. These might be cognitive abilities, psychological traits, professional qualities, and a lot more, and all of them will be either acquired or innate. Based on the importance of leadership qualities, such as commitment, stress resistance, and the ability to make quality decisions, it is reasonable to claim that leaders are made, not born. 

One can deem commitment as one of the top fundamental qualities of the leader. In essence, such a feature indicates that a person is passionate about the common goal, strives to be a team player, and makes every effort to reach a shared goal. As the history shows, none of the successful companies was uncoordinated by an influential, committed leader: Apple, Amazon, Microsoft – all of these companies are examples of dominant teams led by a dedicated leader. A committed leader also inspires his or her team to achieve common goals and put more effort into the shared activity. Besides, commitment is unlikely to be an innate feature; it instead comes with experience. This is so, since commitment implies dedicating oneself to the shared task, and one can reach it only via learning and continuous self-improvement.

Stress resistance is another incredibly important feature that every good leader should possess. This is because only a stress-resistant leader has sufficient capabilities to overcome any complexity and not let the anxiety and stress prevent him or her from making proper decisions. Besides, such a leader will most likely have a positive influence on the team, as long as leading by example will motivate the team members to attain the same emotional stability. What is so far familiar about stress resistance as an effective leader’s feature is that it can be either innate or attained. However, although some researchers admit that emotional stability is something one is born with, it is not entirely true; many people still put a great effort into self-improvement, changing the attitude to unfortunate situations, and so on. Therefore, being resistant to stress can be mostly attributed to a personality.

An ability to make high-quality decisions most likely determines the chances for an enterprise’s success. In particular, such quality is incredibly fundamental for a company of any size and professional orientation. Additionally, it is one of the top tasks of a good leader to make final decisions. What he or she should do implies brainstorming, discussing various opinions in the group, making forecasts, analyzing all the pros and cons. However, the leader is the one to make a final decision. Thereby, he is in charge of researching the market, discovering all the hidden truths, and analyzing the organization’s potential and capabilities to result in the most effective decision. As it flows logically from the latter, an ability to make sound quality decisions is purely a professional quality. This leads to the conclusion that one has to work hard to become a genuine leader and master the skill of making effective decisions. 

Overall, the leader may possess a multitude of different skills and master them perfectly. However, what has so far become transparent is that any leader, regardless of which team he leads, must possess three essential qualities. These qualities are commitment to the common goal, ability to handle and resist stress, and, finally, an ability to make effective decisions. All of the three qualities are most likely to be acquired over a lifetime. The statement below leads to the conclusion that even though some qualities can be innate, most are not the ones that leaders are born with. Hence, this answers an essential question: leadership feature is acquired, and not necessarily inborn.  

20 leadership essay topics

When coming up with your next leadership essay topic, it is imperative to brainstorm ideas and think of what leadership might be related to. If you are struggling with a topic of the importance of leadership essay or any relevant type of essay, you may quickly take a look at some of the possible topics we prepared for you:

• What are the main qualities of the leader?
• Successful Time Management as a feature of an effective leader
• The role that rhetoric plays in leadership
• The most exceptional leader in the history of the 20-th century
• The role of female leadership
• What are the challenges of the leader of the 21-st century?
• How college helps students develop leadership skills?
• Qualities of the leader that motivate people to follow them 
• Top things to avoid doing to become a team leader
• Examples of effective and ineffective leadership in the history
• Top techniques for developing leadership skills
• The interconnection of creativity and leadership 
• Is a university’s role fundamental in developing leadership skills?
• Dictatorship as an anti-example of leadership
• Liberal vs Authoritative leadership: which one works better?
• The influence of the leader’s role model on the followers’ mindset
• Main difficulties that the new leader may face in a new team
• Leadership of today vs leadership of the past: what has changed?
• Reasons why I want to become a member if the leadership program
• The role of cognitive abilities for the leader 

A life lesson in Romeo and Juliet taught by death

Due to human nature, we draw conclusions only when life gives us a lesson since the experience of others is not so effective and powerful. Therefore, when analyzing and sorting out common problems we face, we may trace a parallel with well-known book characters or real historical figures. Moreover, we often compare our situations with […]

Ethical Research Paper Topics

Writing a research paper on ethics is not an easy task, especially if you do not possess excellent writing skills and do not like to contemplate controversial questions. But an ethics course is obligatory in all higher education institutions, and students have to look for a way out and be creative. When you find an […]

Art Research Paper Topics

Students obtaining degrees in fine art and art & design programs most commonly need to write a paper on art topics. However, this subject is becoming more popular in educational institutions for expanding students’ horizons. Thus, both groups of receivers of education: those who are into arts and those who only get acquainted with art […]

A Full Guide On How To Create Good Leadership Essay

Attempting a leadership essay isn’t such a daunting task, provided you have a grasp of the necessary information needed for a leadership paper. To write this special essay, you’ll need to redefine what exactly an essay on leadership is, how to choose the perfect topic, what should be in the content, and how to organize and structure the paper. Let’s delve deeper!

What Is A Leadership Essay?

A leadership essay is a well-formatted, organized and specialized type of formal writing which elaborates on a generic leadership topic or a superior human figure exercising a great influence on people and transmitting desire and optimism to achieve goals.

What Makes A Good Leader Essay?

There are some peculiarities needed to infuse in your write-up if, for example, you’re trying to learn how to write a leadership essay about yourself.

Also, if you’re just trying to produce leadership essays for college, then you’d first and foremost, learn  how to structure an essay , among other skills needed for this type of essay. Here are some qualities which can be found in a good essay about leadership.

• Choose a creative topic
• Avoid the passive voice (the active voice sounds stronger)
• Search for and study leadership essay examples
• Follow the appropriate essay style
• Focus on the essay structure
• Review the essay

How To Choose A Topic And Make A Great Title?

To choose a topic for a paper on leadership, you need to do some research on the concept of a leader (whether in the corporate industry, political society or even in the criminal world). You have to know the current leadership tendencies in organizational groups or society. You can choose to make a leader the point of your reference by explaining the consequences of their leadership abilities or inabilities.

In the body of your essay, don’t forget to mention several types of leadership styles and point out which one the subject portrays. Finally, you should not rule out making comparisons of famous leaders in the modern world or in history. An example of a great prompt for a leadership essay that deploys the comparison technique would be the leadership styles of President Trump and The Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte as both leadership styles have been subjected to political reviews in recent times since their emergence as president of their respective countries.

Outline For A Leadership Essay

When writing a college or professional essay such as -long and short essays on leadership, planning is the key to perfection. The general outline for any essay, including leadership papers, include an introduction, the body paragraphs (which must be properly linked with transition words and/or phrases) and a recapitulating or finding-based conclusions. Here’s what your outline should look like:

Introduction

Knowing how to start a leadership essay depends on your introduction writing ability. The introduction is the gateway to the essay. Aided by punchy opening words, which are the hook, the purpose of the introduction is to draw the reader’s attention. The introduction presents the thesis statement and leaves the body paragraphs to sustain the reader’s interest.

Body Paragraphs

Having informed the readers of the topic of the essay in the introductory paragraph(s), the body paragraphs follow immediately.

Here, you can elaborate on the concept of leadership and do a meaningful interpretation of the subject – the topic or the thesis statement. Don’t forget to talk about your leadership philosophies and leadership experience in whatever capacity you might have found yourself in. Remember, people are more interested in personal experiences. They are great in helping to sustain readers’ attention.

Remember to state a thesis or hypothesis in the opening paragraphs – which is the intro. In each of the body paragraphs of the essay, try to relate your points to the thesis and use each point to prove its validity.

The conclusion is the end part of any well-structured essay. Its purpose is a no-brainer. You don’t want to leave your reader hanging by ending the essay cold turkey. Any standard essay without a conclusion is just as useless as an essay with no purpose. However, be careful not to present new ideas not mentioned in the body.

As mentioned, the conclusion serves to summarize the developed points, restate the thesis and/or present the findings. It is your last opportunity to create an impression on the reader, and this is where they take the message away. If your conclusion is weak, then we might say the essay’s objectives are not achieved.

What To Include In A Leadership Essay?

Here are some tips on what your leadership essay should include.

Your Definition Of A Good Leader And Why He Or She Is Important

Since your essay revolves around leadership and the traits of a good leader, you’ll need to define what it takes to be one. You may also take this opportunity to trash some common myths on what a leader is (i.e., a manager being confused for a leader).

For reference purposes, the concepts of leadership and being a good leader are explained:

Leadership is the quality of a leader and is that person capable of exercising a great influence on people and transmitting desire and optimism to achieve goals. A leader is a guide; someone with ideas and goals that can spread to a large group of people who still believe he or she can lead them in the right direction.

There are many types of leaders and therefore, of leadership since people generally always look for a person or group that shows them a direction to follow. You can find religious, political, social, or philosophical leadership. Leadership can be exercised in a traditional way. In many countries, there is a monarchy. The king or queen is a leader with limited political power, at least in western democracies, but still have the respect and consideration of the people. Their words continue to be heard and taken into account, especially in problematic times. There are other types of leadership that are not given by birth, such as legitimate leadership exercised by, for example, political leaders freely chosen by their people, or charismatic leaders.

In a way, charismatic leaders are what many understand as leaders since they are people who, by their way of behavior and characteristics, get many people to follow and adhere to their ideas. Some charismatic leaders can become legitimate leaders if they choose the path of politics. A traditional leader can also be charismatic. There have always been kings loved by his people more than others. But it can also be a person who prefers independent movements outside of power.

Charisma is the personal magnetism a person has. It is something very difficult to define but makes one capable of convincing others without too much effort, making people follow and trust the leading figure. Charisma can be used positively or negatively. The leaders of the most destructive sects are very charismatic people that are capable of convincing their followers of the eeriest ideas, including donating all their belongings or committing collective suicide.

Examples Of Your Leadership Style

In the content of your essay, you may consider giving an interpretation to your (or your chosen leader’s) leadership traits. Below are some examples of leadership qualities that separate a good leader from a bad leader.

What qualities are necessary for leadership

• Communication
• Emotional intelligence
• Strategic thinking
• Commitment and passion
• Knowledge and experience
• Leading by example
• Active listening
• Ability to enhance talent
• Setting goals and expectations
• People investment
• Discernment
• Concentration
• Positive attitude
• Problem-solving
• Self-discipline

Leadership Essay Example

To know how to do essay fast, you’ll need some ready-made essay examples for the sake of guidance and inspiration. You may find below a leadership essay written by Oliver Smith useful in your leadership paper.

Writing a leadership essay should be easy. A good essay on leadership starts from the hook, and the thesis statement in the introduction. The points developed in the body paragraphs help affirm the hypothesis. Finally, the conclusion offers the reader a summary through the restatement of the essay’s main idea.

As required for every essay type, your essay on leadership has to follow a definite style and format. Examples are MLA, APA, Chicago and AP styles. Take your time in choosing a creative but new topic and also in writing the content. By following this guide, everything should be as perfect as possible.

Don't waste time

Get a professional assistance from certified experts right now

What It Means to Be a Leader? Creative Writing Essay

An autobiography about leadership.

It is common for people to assume that some people are born leaders while others believe that leadership can be learned. However, I strongly believe that everyone has some leadership potential with the exception that some people are more of leaders than others. Accordingly, we all have a starting point in leadership, and thus, with sufficient training and practice, we can make good leaders.

As a result, leadership should be a process, which helps groups of people to achieve goals by ensuring that all the leaders in the group enjoy a mutual relationship in influencing decisions. It then follows that leaders must possess certain skills/abilities, knowledge, behaviors, and values, which make then either good or bad leaders.

Accordingly, leaders should be organized and committed in anything they are involved in besides possessing a complex set of knowledge, values, and skills to support their roles. Most importantly, leaders should know their values, knowledge, and abilities in order to claim their share within a group with confidence. This also ensures that leaders recognize their strengths and compensate for their shortcomings.

On the other hand, leaders learn and practice skills in addition to possessing more specific abilities such as the knowledge and understanding of various tasks, excellent communication skills, ability to build teams/groups, the willingness to take risks, and the ability to add value to the group or individuals. Furthermore, leaders spread optimism as they treat other people with empathy, and show support for those in need. Above all, leaders are trustworthy and accountable to their people and various commitments.

Table: A summary of leadership features

Defining the role of leadership communication

From the foregoing autobiography, it is worth noting that different roles, abilities, values, and skills are needed for one to qualify as a successful leader. Moreover, the discussions downplay the notion that some people are born to be leaders by insisting that everyone possesses the ability to be a leader if only one identifies his or her abilities, knowledge, and skills, which should be nurtured and practiced to perfection.

However, from the roles highlighted in the discussions above, I find that my definition of leadership communication has been changing over time. It is widely accepted that communication skills form the core of leadership, and without these skills, many leaders find it difficult to guide their people through various tasks. On the other hand, I believe that it is never too late for those in leadership roles to learn communication skills and implement them in their day-to-day activities.

There are many reasons as to why leaders should learn leadership communication skills. To begin with, excellent leadership communication skills encourage open communication between leaders and their people by creating an environment, which allows people to exchange ideas and solve problems without favor or fear. Here, leaders are called to encourage their subordinates to embrace open communication by exchanging ideas frequently.

For instance, in an organization where employees are encouraged to communicate with their superiors more frequently, studies show that task performance, job satisfaction, and communication increase while problems arise less often. On the other hand, good leadership communication skills enable leaders to deliver clear messages to their subordinates.

Whether written, oral, or non-verbal, any message sent out is received in the same way it was sent. Therefore, to ensure good communication and eliminate any chances of misunderstandings, it is imperative for leaders to develop their communication skills to the effect that any message conveyed is understood in the manner intended.

Most importantly, leadership communication skills should not limit leaders to being mere communicators, but they should allow leaders to do as much listening as talking. Here, by listening to their subordinates, leaders stand a better chance of handling different situations before they cause problems. Listening will also allow leaders to determine the needs of their subordinates in order to meet them accordingly.

The role of leaders in listening has changed over time as leaders move from the autocratic style of leadership to more participative and inclusive styles where employees in a given organization understand and take an active role in decision-making because they know that their leaders are listening. Such organizations where employees are treated with empathy and recognition remain successful through difficult situations because everyone is on the same page.

Another aspect of leadership communication that has changed over time is the role of non-verbal cues in communication. Over the years, people have been insisting on the need to develop excellent communication skills, but much of these efforts have been directed toward verbal and written skills. A gap is fast developing between verbal and non-verbal communication skills, and the number of people who are aware of their non-verbal behaviors is far less than otherwise.

Here, it is my understanding that communication entails various aspects ranging from written and verbal skills through non-verbal communication skills. As a result, for one to be a good communicator, it is imperative that one develops skills that cut across the range. Therefore, it is my understanding that leaders who wish to convey clear messages to others should consider their tone of voice and facial expressions among other gestures as they communicate.

For instance, if a manager is communicating a serious financial problem to other employees, it is natural that he should have a serious face. Non-verbal communication cues are important because they coincide with the verbal message being conveyed thus making the message more effective. However, leaders should not allow their non-verbal cues to overshadow their main message as this will end up causing unnecessary misunderstandings.

Overall, good leadership communication skills are the core of leadership as illustrated in the foregoing discussions. Here, it is notable that effective communication creates an environment where open communication thrives, ideas are shared, problems are effectively solved, and clear messages are sent and received with minimal distortions.

Most importantly, good leadership communication skills enable leaders to communicate more effectively by incorporating different aspects of communication ranging from oral, written, and non-verbal skills. Therefore, it is important for leaders, particularly upcoming leaders in the twenty-first century going forward to embrace good communication skills, which should reflect the current changes in organizational designs across different sectors.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2022, April 7). What It Means to Be a Leader? https://ivypanda.com/essays/being-a-leader/

"What It Means to Be a Leader?" IvyPanda , 7 Apr. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/being-a-leader/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'What It Means to Be a Leader'. 7 April.

IvyPanda . 2022. "What It Means to Be a Leader?" April 7, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/being-a-leader/.

1. IvyPanda . "What It Means to Be a Leader?" April 7, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/being-a-leader/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "What It Means to Be a Leader?" April 7, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/being-a-leader/.

• Paralinguistic Cues in Computer-Mediated Communications in Personality Traits
• The Psychology of Verbal and Nonverbal Communication
• The Meaning of Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication
• Change and Strategic Management
• The Myth of Multitasking
• Origins of Change Management
• Change in the TV Station
• Organizational Decision Making: Group Decision Making vs. Individual Decision Making

Feb 15, 2023

Essays on Leadership for Students | 200 - 500 Word Essays

Are you writing an essay about leadership? Check out these examples!

Leadership is often defined as "the action of inspiring others to act in concert to achieve a particular goal." It signifies the harmony in actions that lead to a common objective. A genuine leader not only exudes confidence but also paves the way for their followers towards triumph. Over the years, various leadership styles have been identified and discussed by psychologists.

 Qualities such as intelligence, adaptability, extroversion, innate self-awareness, and social competence often emerge as the hallmarks of impactful leaders. There's a consensus that these traits mold an individual into an effective leader. Interestingly, some theories suggest that extraordinary situations can thrust an ordinary individual into the spotlight, bestowing upon them the mantle of leadership. It's also believed that leadership isn't a static trait but an evolving journey. It underscores the belief that with dedication and the right resources, anyone can hone their leadership abilities.

 True leadership goes beyond merely advocating for a cause. It involves taking responsibility, igniting motivation in others, and differentiating oneself from just being a 'boss'. A leader's essence lies in their ability to inspire and propel people towards grand visions, whereas a manager typically focuses on oversight and operational aspects.

What Is a Leadership Essay?

A leadership essay falls under the category of student application essays and serves to provide student admissions officers with insight into your past leadership experiences. Despite appearing to be very specific, this type of essay acknowledges that the nature and perception of leadership can vary significantly depending on the individual and the context.

 If you find yourself in need of further insights or a unique angle for your leadership essay, consider exploring an expert essay-writing tool designed to assist students in crafting compelling narratives by analyzing vast data and generating fresh ideas within minutes. In this article, we'll also delve into various leadership essay examples to offer a clearer understanding of the genre and inspire your writing journey.

4 Examples of Leadership Essays

Qualities of a good leader, introduction.

Confidence is the most important attribute first of all. One of the most important qualities in a leader is confidence in one's own abilities. A lack of self-assurance is fatal to a person's leadership potential. If you want others to follow you, you need to exude self-assurance. It's imperative for a leader to have faith in his own judgment and actions. How can people want to follow him if he doesn't even know what he's doing?

Every effective leader knows that they need to be an inspiration to their followers. A leader needs to set an example for his team. In addition, he ought to inspire them whenever feasible. A leader must also maintain optimism in trying times.

What qualities a good leader must have?

Leadership is the ability to influence and guide individuals or groups toward a common goal. A leader must possess several qualities to be effective, including:

Communication skills: A leader must be able to communicate their vision and goals clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing. This requires excellent listening skills, empathy, and the ability to adapt to different communication styles.

Emotional intelligence: A leader must be able to understand and manage their own emotions, as well as those of their team members. This includes being able to understand and respond to the emotions of others, and handling conflicts in a constructive manner.

Visionary: A leader must have a clear and inspiring vision of the future, and be able to articulate this vision in a way that motivates others to work towards it.

Strategic thinking: A leader must be able to think critically and creatively to identify and solve problems, make decisions, and develop plans and strategies to achieve their goals.

Flexibility: A leader must be able to adapt to changing circumstances and be open to new ideas and perspectives. This requires the ability to embrace change, be innovative, and continuously learn and grow.

Integrity: A leader must have strong ethics and values, and be willing to make difficult decisions that are consistent with their beliefs. This requires honesty, transparency, and accountability.

Decisiveness: A leader must be able to make tough decisions quickly, without undue hesitation or procrastination. This requires courage and the ability to take calculated risks.

Empowerment: A leader must be able to delegate responsibilities, give team members the resources they need to succeed, and foster a sense of ownership and accountability among their team.

Conclusion 

These qualities are essential for effective leadership, and when combined with hard work, determination, and a commitment to excellence, can help leaders to achieve great things.

How one can be a Great Leader?

Leadership is the act of performing the duties of a leader. In the business world, for instance, it is essential to have someone in charge of a team to ensure everything runs well. Effective leadership is essential for any group that wants to maximize its prospects of success.

Leadership Comes from Experience

As we've shown, leadership can be innate in some cases but is more often learned through practice and exposure. Sometimes the best traits of a leader must be learned over a lengthy period of time, so that one can become a notable one, proving that leadership is not always about a person's innate qualities. Leaders should continuously be on the lookout for opportunities to grow their leadership skills.

Nobody can disagree that experience is a key component of leadership. Numerous examples exist to back up this claim, such as:

Instance 1:

Our school's head boy or girl has traditionally been an older student who has been around for a while and thus has a better grasp of the ins and outs of school politics.

Instance 2:

When there is a vacancy for a team leader, it is common practice for the employee who has consistently put in the most effort and attention to the office job to receive a higher number of votes than their coworkers. 

“The best teacher for a leader is evaluated experience.” - John C. Maxwell

How one can be a Great Leader/Skills to be a Great Leader?

Effective leadership is a skill that develops through time. Developing into a leader with all the qualities that are needed takes a lot of hard work and potential. Being a prominent leader calls for a wide variety of traits. Some of these characteristics are addressed in further detail below:

One should be a Good Communicator

To be an effective leader, one must be able to convey his thoughts clearly to his/her/its subordinates.

Should have Confidence

The individual should have faith in what he says and does.

Give Credit to other Team Members too

A leader not only needs to impose his viewpoints and opinions instead he must also hear to the suggestions of other members of the team and offer them credit if their concept is appropriate.

Good Bond with the Team

A leader's ability to command respect from his team members depends on his ability to develop and maintain positive relationships with them.

Leads with Responsibility

A leader needs to be completely committed to his position. It's important that he takes on responsibility so that he can effectively deal with the various challenges he will inevitably face.

Any group or organization needs a leader above all else. Leadership development takes time and effort. One needs to have lived through a lot to be an effective leader. It's not enough to simply have years of experience in the field; one must also have the traits that make one an effective leader. You can't be a great leader unless you possess certain traits.

What makes a Good Leader?

Trying one's hand as a leader appears easy when viewed through this lens. Is that so tough? Of course not; leading is difficult, and not everyone aspires to be a leader. The vast majority of us have settled into well-established careers where we report to superiors and make a living. Still, not everyone is content to go along with the crowd. They become leaders in whatever field they pursue. A leader is an example to followers and will prioritize the needs of those around them.

Some Unique Qualities of a Leader

Many individuals resort to their leaders to vent their frustrations, therefore it's important for them to be good listeners.

A leader ought to be completely forthright; they can't play favorites or give anyone preferential treatment. One of the most essential qualities of a strong leader is the ability to make decisions with integrity.

They need to be aware of the bigger picture and understand what makes an individual stand out or become a leader. It's their expertise in addition to other distinguishing traits. Their awareness of current events and the results of recent studies is essential. In many ways, this is helpful, and it's the leader's responsibility to stay current.

Since some might not understand them, they should utilize straightforward, easily comprehended language. Leaders need to be able to communicate effectively at all times. In reality, what sets them apart is their exceptional communication skills. Adolf Hitler was such a gifted orator that his followers believed every word he said.

No matter how you're feeling or what's going on in the world, if you listen to a leader, they may make you feel energized. Since leaders are in charge of inspiring confidence in their followers, they can't afford to be wary or unsure of themselves. People tend to blindly follow their leaders.

Whether you're a leader or a doctor, you should devote yourself completely to your chosen field. Everything we do is for the benefit of others; engineers, for example, spend much of their time designing and constructing buildings for other people. So, take pride in what you do, and if you possess the aforementioned traits, you are also a leader who doesn't have to rely on others to succeed. No matter what you do, aspiring to leadership positions will always benefit others.

What is Leadership in Management and what are the weaknesses and strengths of a Leader?

Simply said, leadership is acting as a supervisor or manager of a group. Different mental pictures pop up when we hear the word "leadership" used in conversation. One might think of a political leader, team leader, corporate leader, school leader, etc. Leaders facilitate order and efficiency in the workplace. Teamwork and success are fundamental to effective leadership. Leaders utilize their managerial abilities to establish courses and guide their teams to success.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Leadership

Able to express oneself more clearly

Growth of character.

Self-awareness.

Possession of teamwork skills.

Gain assurance in yourself.

Weaknesses:

Acting favorably toward one's teammates.

Having no faith in the leader.

Thinks they're better than everyone else, but act hypocritically.

Not living up to the promised standard.

Insufficient morals.

Leadership and Management

Management and leadership are inextricably linked to one another. Leadership and management are both vital to the efficient operation of an organization; but, they accomplish very different things in the process. Leadership is a necessary skill for anyone aspiring to be an effective manager. The terms management and leadership are synonymous with one another. In this manner, we are able to draw the conclusion that a manager who demonstrates the traits of a successful leader is, in fact, a manager who is effective.

Leadership in School

Leadership is essential in nearly every group, as we've seen above. That group includes one's educational institution. Every school needs an outstanding figure to serve as its head of school. Class monitor, assembly captain, cultural leader, etc. are all examples of leadership roles that can be taken on at school, but this raises the question of what makes a person a successful school leader.

Any student hoping to be chosen as a student body leader will need to demonstrate a wide range of competencies. He or she needs to be a consistent student who pays attention in class and does well in extracurricular activities. For the simple reason that no intelligent and hardworking kid would ever be considered for leadership. Student leaders are most often selected from among those who participate fully in all activities.

Leadership in Organization

Leadership in an organization, also known as organizational leadership, is the process of establishing long-term objectives that further the company's mission and help it reach its ultimate destination. This is a classic illustration of how Bill Gates often works with his team: they agree on a strategy, and Gates implements it. To the same extent, it is the responsibility of the leader in each given organization to determine what it is that the group is trying to accomplish.

Leadership in Politics

Leadership in politics, also known as political leadership, is the process of becoming actively involved in a political party in the role of a party leader. Knowledge of political processes, their outcomes, and the political agenda is central to the idea of political leadership.

An effective leader can be developed in anyone who has the determination and drives to do so. Both the strengths and the areas for improvement should be nurtured. Whether in the classroom, the workplace, or the political arena, leadership is always necessary. Therefore, one can exercise leadership anywhere they like inside their own organization.

What are the types of Leadership?

The ability to lead is a rare trait that not everyone possesses. The ability to do so is a gift, so count your blessings if you possess it. It's recommended that you hone it even more so that you can propel your career forward and serve as an example to people around you. However, it is crucial to grasp the various leadership styles before you go ahead and polish your skills.

Types of Leadership Styles

Democratic Leadership

In this style of management, subordinates are given a voice in decision-making. Although the subordinates' efforts are highlighted, the leader is ultimately held responsible for the group's actions. Many people find this type of leadership to be effective.

Transformational Leadership

Transformational leaders motivate and inspire others to adopt new behaviors and ways of thinking in order to improve their own performance and that of their teams and organizations. A transformational leader is someone who encourages their team to strive for greater things and works to boost morale and output.

Team Leadership

A good leader fully incorporates his team into the task at hand. Members of the team are motivated to reach their goals and advance in their careers thanks to the leadership of the group.

Strategic Leadership

It requires a chief executive who doesn't restrict himself to brainstorming sessions with his superiors. He contributes on every level of the team. He is well-liked for his ability to unite the need for fresh ideas with the necessity of grounding them in reality.

Autocratic Leadership

The leader in a command and control structure is the center of attention. The chief executive has absolute power in this setting. He decides things on his own, without polling his staff. He relays this information to his staff and stresses the importance of swift action. The buck stops with him, and he alone must answer for his actions. Not much room for negotiation exists. It's no secret that this method of leading has its detractors.

Visionary Leadership

This kind of leader appreciates the abilities and requirements of his team members. He describes his ideal outcome and the teamwork that will be necessary to attain it.

Coaching Leadership

Leaders who coach their teams do so regularly in an effort to raise output. He inspires his employees to do better and works to keep them motivated. This approach to leadership has been much praised.

Facilitative Leadership

With occasional guidance, a facilitative leader ensures that the process runs smoothly for his team. As a precaution in case his team is ineffective. If the team is highly effective, the leader will take a hands-off approach.

Cross-Cultural Leadership

The leadership of this type is necessary when interacting with people from various cultural backgrounds. Because of the wide variety of cultures represented in the workforce across the United States, many managers and executives hold cross-cultural positions.

Laissez-Faire Leadership

The members of the team are given responsibility in this style of management. They are free to choose how they spend their time at work, with minimal oversight from the boss. It's not a good way to lead, according to experts.

Transactional Leadership

An interactive approach is integral to this kind of leadership. When team members successfully implement their leader's ideas and choices, they are rewarded with immediate, material benefits.

Charismatic Leadership

In order to bring out the best in his followers, this kind of leader makes the effort to change their attitudes, values, and actions.

This article should dispel the notion that leadership qualities can't be further subdivided. It should also assist you in pinpointing your own personal brand of leadership so you can perfect it over time.

Final Words

In conclusion, leadership is a complex and multifaceted concept that involves various qualities and skills. Effective leaders possess traits such as integrity, vision, empathy, decisiveness, and the ability to inspire and motivate others. They are able to navigate challenges, make difficult decisions, and lead their team toward success. Leadership also involves continuous learning and self-improvement, as leaders must adapt to changing circumstances and remain relevant. Effective leadership can have a positive impact on both individuals and organizations, fostering growth and creating a culture of success.

You can use Jenni.ai to quickly compose an essay on leadership, or any other topic, of your choosing. It's a fantastic choice that promises convenience and relief. Create an essay on any topic in a matter of minutes with the help of our AI-powered program. Membership is immediately available upon your free registration here.

You can use Jenni.ai to quickly compose an essay on leadership, or any other topic, of your choosing. It's a fantastic choice that promises convenience and relief. Create an essay on any topic in a matter of minutes with the help of our AI-powered program. Sign up on Jenni.ai and get a free trial.

Try Jenni for free today

Create your first piece of content with Jenni today and never look back

Which program are you applying to?

Accepted Admissions Blog

Everything you need to know to get Accepted

August 8, 2022

Writing a Powerful Leadership/Achievement Essay [Sample Essay]

Essays that ask you to write about significant achievements fall under the category of

what are known as behavioral or experiential questions . The basic assumption behind these questions is that past behavior is a great predictor of future behavior . They are all varieties on the theme of “Tell us about a time when you…” These questions are meant to take the measure of your managerial potential.

Let’s look at how one candidate effectively addressed this essay question from  Stanford GSB  (*this question is not from the current application):

Tell us about a time when you made a lasting impact on your organization.

This writer avoids writing about leadership in any generic way and zeroes in on the specific aspects of his contributions and their impact:

Leadership essay example: The Change Agent

When I was invited to become the Vice President and General Manager at Third Way Associates (TWA)* two years ago, the company was in financial and administrative disorder. Employee retention was poor, and TWA took too long to pay vendors because of poor communication and accounting processes. Cash flow was managed based on immediate needs rather than by the logic of budgets planned by project and city. Sloppy expense reports that were turned in with no receipts were reimbursed to employees.

TWA founders Scott W ____ and Glenn L ____ had good intentions, but spent most of their time selling sponsorships and getting new clients rather than directing and managing the company. As we begin 20XX, TWA is much healthier in every way. Under my direction, vendors are paid in an average of 20 days from date of invoice, instead of 60 days or more. Our cash flow is better administered since I introduced very specific detailed area budgets with over 125 budget lines per city. Because I can give the company founders much better stability and macromanagement vision, the three of us are able to look more to the future rather than simply put out fires.

Despite the difficult economy in 20XX, we not only retained our same clients but also signed several new client agreements for three years or more, including a two-year contract with Big Shoe Company worth $1.3 million. I’ve brought fresh accounts and industries into TWA, including ____ Airlines and Drink Y, among others. Combined, these accounts generated more than $500,000 in 20XX, and we estimate close to $1 million dollars in the following year.

Since my arrival, we have a much wider and broader sales menu which has been crucial to generate more revenue. I’ve expanded our most popular sports events to 25 cities, giving our clients new investment opportunities. These events range from recreational soccer clinic tours to professional soccer games broadcast on TV.

I also expanded our field staff, and at present we have 25 strong and reliable managers who report directly to me from each city. Despite the economy, 20XX was not a bad year for TWA, and this year promises to be even better if we continue our current strategy and continue to work as a team.

Leadership essay analysis

In every paragraph, this writer mentions concrete measures he took to introduce order to a chaotic company that was trying to grow. From instituting budgets with line items, an improved accounts payable system, and recruiting additional big-name accounts, the writer proves how his efforts strengthened the organization.

How can you maximize on your thought leadership experiences?

As you choose among your own experiences as essay material, think about these questions to help you frame answers of substance:

• What was the obstacle, challenge, or problem that you solved in this accomplishment? A tight client deadline? A complex merger transaction? A new product launch amidst fierce competition?
• What did you do to rise to the challenge you are writing about? Motivate your team to work overtime? Sell senior management on the deal’s long-term upside? Identify a marketing profile for your product that no competitor can match?
• What facts demonstrate that your intervention created a happy ending? Did your team submit the project deliverables three days early despite being 20% understaffed? Your client approved the $500 million merger, the largest ever in its industry? Your new product has 20% market share after only one year? What was the impact of your leadership?

Don’t forget about your people leadership skills

What we’ve spoken about until this point revolves mostly on skilled problem-solving, or “thought leadership.” But respected businesspeople need to be equally or even more talented at something we didn’t have a formal name for: people leadership. By effectively leading the thinking of client firms’ problems as well as motivating them to work long hours to develop solutions to these problems and collaborate with clients on implementing them, these businesspeople prove to have what it takes to be exemplary leaders.

So don’t forget to include strong elements of people leadership in your essays. Here are several to keep in mind:

• Rallying others around a vision. Did you convince your team or group to follow a specific path/solution? How did you do it? Successful clients have talked about handling dissenting opinions diplomatically or presenting their teams’ detailed quantitative evidence for a recommendation. The more you can show that you understood your audience and tailored the content and form of your message to them, the better.
• Harnessing others’ strengths – and expanding them. Did you provide team members tasks they could handle comfortably based on their capabilities, as well as opportunities to broaden their skills? For example, you may have handed your quant jock teammate the most complicated operations analysis as well as responsibility for leading a key client meeting. In this way, you leverage teammates’ strengths while helping them develop new ones.
• Getting through tough times. Did you model for your team enviable cool in pressure-cooker situations, maybe helping them keep the big-picture goal in mind or lightening the mood with humor? Did you reward teammates with praise, pizza, or both for working long into the night? Did you pitch in on others’ responsibilities as deadlines loomed? Helping your team handle stress while managing your own is a cornerstone of strong leadership.

Use your words

Another tip: Look for opportunities to incorporate strong verbs that illustrate your strengths in these areas. Good examples of leadership might incorporate several of the following:

• Establishing a goal or vision
• Obtaining buy-in
• Taking responsibility

The old adage, “Show, don’t tell,” remains a classic bit of wisdom in the writing process. Make that a guiding principle not only in your leadership/achievement essays, but throughout your application.

For personalized advice tailored just for you, check out our MBA Admissions Consulting & Editing services and work one-on-one with a pro who will help you discover your competitive advantage and use it to get accepted.

Related Resources:

• School-Specific MBA Application Essay Tips • Tone Up Your Writing: Confidence vs Arrogance • “I’m Smart, Really I Am!” Proving Character Traits in Your Essays

About Us Press Room Contact Us Podcast Accepted Blog Privacy Policy Website Terms of Use Disclaimer Client Terms of Service

Accepted 1171 S. Robertson Blvd. #140 Los Angeles CA 90035 +1 (310) 815-9553 © 2022 Accepted

25,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today

Meet top uk universities from the comfort of your home, here’s your new year gift, one app for all your, study abroad needs, start your journey, track your progress, grow with the community and so much more.

Verification Code

An OTP has been sent to your registered mobile no. Please verify

Thanks for your comment !

Our team will review it before it's shown to our readers.

• School Education /

Essay on Leadership: Samples in 100, 200, 300 Words

• Updated on  
• Oct 7, 2023

The concept of leadership has been known to us since ancient times, from Ashoka: The Great to modern-day democratic leaders. Whether it’s politics or business, sports or entertainment, leadership is an essential part of human society, Leadership is the art of inspiring and guiding people towards a common goal. 

Critics might argue that being a leader is just about holding a prestigious position and living a fancy life. That might be 1 in 1000 cases, as leaders across the globe work for the welfare and development of their people and country. Below we have discussed some essays on leadership where the multifaceted roles of this position are highlighted. 

Table of Contents

• 1 Essay on Leadership in 100 Words
• 2 Essay on Leadership in 200 Words
• 3 Essay on Leadership in 300 Words

Also Read – Essay on Summer Vacation

Essay on Leadership in 100 Words

Leadership involves a set of qualities, values and actions, which are focused on the benefit of people and their country. A person holding the position of a leader plays a pivotal role in every facet of life, influencing the direction and success of organizations, communities, and nations. To become a leader, one must have a clear vision to understand a future state that is better than the present and communicate that vision to their team or followers.

A leader’s actions should be aligned with their words, and they must demonstrate their honesty, transparency and ethical behaviour. Trust is the foundation for any successful leadership, and it is built through consistent ethical conduct. 

Essay on Leadership in 200 Words

Leadership is a complex and multifaceted concept and is an essential part of developing a society or organisation. Leadership can involve various positions and types, from democratic to autocratic, where the leaders inspire and empower their teams, fostering an environment where individuals can thrive and achieve their fullest potential.

Effective leadership involves skilled communicators to can convey ideas, expectations, and feedback clearly and persuasively. They also listen actively to their team’s input and concerns. A great leader empowers a team of professionals by entrusting them with responsibilities and decision-making authority. With the formation of delegates, the power of leadership is divided among different authorities who are responsible for fostering growth and development among team members, making the organization more robust.

Some of the fundamentals of leadership are authenticity, integrity, ethical behaviour, a clear vision and other vital traits. Trust is the bedrock of leadership, and it is built through honesty, transparency, and consistency in actions and decisions. A leader who understands and cares about the needs and concerns of their team fosters strong relationships, promoting collaboration and cohesion.

At last, leadership is more than a title; it’s the embodiment of vision, integrity, empathy, communication and resilience. Effective leaders work to bring positive changes, inspire people around them and create a sense of purpose and direction in their terms and organizations.

Also Read – Essay on Cricket

Essay on Leadership in 300 Words

Leadership is a vital concept for the welfare of a society, community or country, depending on what the leadership is about. A leader transcends boundaries and is fundamental to human endeavours in various domains. Their job involves the ability to influence and guide a group of individuals toward achieving a common objective. Effective leadership is characterized by a combination of qualities, skills, and behaviours that inspire, motivate, and empower a team.

The first and most important aspect of a successful leader is having a clear vision. A clear vision works as a guiding light, outlining the desired future and providing a sense of purpose and direction for the team. Leaders with a compelling vision can inspire and rally their followers, creating a shared sense of purpose. 

The other cornerstone of leadership is integrity. Leaders must demonstrate honesty, transparency, and ethical behaviour. Trust, which is essential in any team or organization, is built on the foundation of integrity. When people believe that their leader acts with integrity, they are more likely to follow willingly and commit to the cause. 

Another trait that is essential for effective leadership is empathy. Leaders with empathy understand and connect with the emotions, needs, and perspectives of their team members. By showing compassion and actively listening, they create a supportive and inclusive environment that fosters trust and collaboration.

Apart from these traits, other important qualities for effective leadership include effective communication and interpersonal skills. A leader must be able to articulate their vision, goals, and expectations clearly and persuasively. 

In conclusion, leadership is a multifaceted concept that plays a pivotal role towards the positive growth and development of organizations, communities, and societies. Effective leaders inspire their teams, create a sense of purpose, and drive positive change. Leadership is not merely a position; it is a journey of personal growth and a commitment to serving the greater good.

Related Articles:

• Essay on Knowledge is Power
• Essay on Morning Walk for Students
• Essay on Discipline
• Essay on the Importance of Education

Some of the synonyms for a leader are: Coach, Captain, Principal, Chairman, Kingpin, Boss, CEO, etc.

What makes a good leader is their ability to persuade people using their effective communication skills, having a clear vision working towards the welfare of society, and taking responsibility for their actions.

Writing an essay on leadership in 200 words must include the fundamental aspects of leadership and the qualities they must possess. Effective leaders around the world create a supportive and inclusive environment where people can thrive and contribute their best efforts. They inspire a shared sense of purpose, foster collaboration, and guide their teams toward achieving collective goals.

For more information about such informative articles, visit our essay writing page and make sure to follow Leverage Edu .

Shiva Tyagi

With an experience of over a year, I've developed a passion for writing blogs on wide range of topics. I am mostly inspired from topics related to social and environmental fields, where you come up with a positive outcome.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Contact no. *

Connect With Us

25,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today.

Resend OTP in

Need help with?

Study abroad.

UK, Canada, US & More

IELTS, GRE, GMAT & More

Scholarship, Loans & Forex

Country Preference

New Zealand

Which English test are you planning to take?

Which academic test are you planning to take.

Not Sure yet

When are you planning to take the exam?

Already booked my exam slot

Within 2 Months

Want to learn about the test

Which Degree do you wish to pursue?

When do you want to start studying abroad.

January 2024

September 2024

What is your budget to study abroad?

How would you describe this article ?

Please rate this article

We would like to hear more.

Have something on your mind?

Make your study abroad dream a reality in January 2022 with

India's Biggest Virtual University Fair

Essex Direct Admission Day

Why attend .

Don't Miss Out

• Programs Overview
• MSc in Management
• Full-Time MBA
• Accelerated MBA
• Executive MBA
• MBA Direct for HBAs
• Master of Management in Analytics
• The Ivey Academy
• Pre-Ivey Experiences
• Ivey Asia - Executive Education
• Faculty & Research Overview
• Faculty Directory
• Area Groups
• Centres & Institutes
• Ivey Impact
• Purpose, Mission and Values
• Strategic Planning
• Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
• Careers at Ivey
• Ivey Idea Forum
• Media Centre
• Contact Communications
• Alumni Overview
• Get Involved
• Benefits & Services

A Reflection on Leadership based on my experience with the LEADER Project

Nov 2, 2012

Leadership is a quality that's innate in me. Whether it was in the playground at pre-school, the soccer-field growing up, student council in high school or various teams I am involved in at Ivey, a common theme has been my desire and willingness to lead. For a long time I thought this was because I enjoyed being in a position of control, a position of influence where I could shape the direction of a particular project or initiative. To some extent, this was the case; but I only recently realized that it was the desire to have an impact that I love most about being a leader. In fact, the ability to make an impact is how I would define leadership. Often times, leadership is seen as a title, a position that one is chosen for or given to make decisions and lead a group of people. These individuals are leaders, of course, as they're able to make significant impact on a large group of people; but we forget that leaders are everywhere in our society and more often than not they are leaders in an unorthodox sense. Whether they are artists, teachers, or musicians, many of them make an impact on their communities and those who choose to do so intentionally are leaders in their own right.

This is not to say that everyone can be a leader. I believe there are certain personality traits, skillsets and motivations that need to be present for effective leadership to take place. However, I believe leadership is a means to generating impact and I believe there are numerous individuals out there who do this on a daily basis who we would never consider as being leaders in the traditional sense of the word.

My LEADER experience has been paramount to me redefining my definition of leadership. I have personally been very fortunate to have had formal opportunities to develop my leadership skills and be provided with opportunities to exhibit it as well. This has given me tremendous exposure to new opportunities and only accelerated my growth as a leader. However, after visiting Russia I realized that such opportunities are unheard of in their communities. They don't have student councils, leadership institutes, summer enrichment programs or entrepreneurship incubators. These were all formal institutions that allowed me to practice and develop my leadership skills. This begged the question: is there a lack of leaders in Russia? Absolutely not. Many of the students I had a chance to work with were budding entrepreneurs with ambitious goals for solving critical problems in their communities. Several of them had already pursued various community service projects and some even had international experiences which they sought out on their own.

One student in our class, Julia, was particularly inspirational. She came from a very low-income family and was financing her tuition by founding an adventure sports startup. Specifically, she had partnered with a hot-air balloon pilot and began offering excursions to individuals in the nearby city of Samara. This was a brand new offering unbeknownst to a region that attracted little to no tourists. Despite this seemingly massive hurdle, Julia persevered with her vision and successfully ran this business over the course of the last two years. Since then, she has expanded their offerings to include mountain biking and hiking tours as well. This just goes to show the determination and commitment she made to her education and creating a service that genuinely added value in a unique way for her community. Julia didn't have mentors, venture capitalists or incubators to help guide her through this process. She did her own research, invested the little capital that she could afford and courage to take on this enormous challenge. Julia is a true leader.

Despite a lack of formal infrastructure in place to foster leaders in the traditional sense, many students were still forging their own ways of making an impact. This is what leadership is all about. I'm extremely fortunate and grateful for having the opportunity to experience this first hand. It inspires me to know that youth all around the world embody a passion for change, a desire to lead and a commitment to making an impact. LEADER is a phenomenal initiative that is supporting this dream and opening doors that otherwise may never have opened - for our students, the entrepreneurs, and for us, the LEADERites.

• Youth Program
• Wharton Online
• Business Journal Articles
• Entrepreneurs & Leaders
• Student Essays

Student Essay: The Power of Stories to Inspire Strong Leaders

Share Article:

Google Classroom:

Maya S. is a Muslim, Egyptian and student athlete who has lived in Saudi Arabia for most of her life. She is 16 and a junior at the American International School of Riyadh, where she is enrolled in the International Baccalaureate program.

In this Student Essay of the Week, Maya talks about how building a platform for others to share their stories has helped her understand why welcoming diversity of thought and experience will make her a stronger, more empathetic leader.

Three steps forward and two steps back. That was my reality during the privilege walk.

In October 2018, I was selected along with 50 other high school students to attend a leadership trip to a farm outside Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We believed that we were all going to learn about how to become leaders with strong voices. However, the trip took a completely unexpected and inspiring turn. Instead, we left knowing how to listen first and speak second.

At the farm, we participated in an activity called a privilege walk , where we were asked to step forward or backward in response to certain questions. From the responses, it became obvious that all of us were struggling with something that those around us knew nothing about.

I learned that the girl beside me once wondered where her next meal would come from. The girl beside her was afraid to leave the house at night because she had been assaulted. The boy to my left had been held at gunpoint. And the boy beside him had a mental disorder. This realization hit me hard. I was able to understand that although it’s impossible for us all to experience the same things, it is possible for us to try and listen to each other and understand each other’s differences. I began to appreciate the meaning of finding beauty in diversity. During that trip I learned that true leaders listen to the voices of others, and as a result they are able to enrich their own points of view.

“Living with anxiety is like feeling alive through the motions of life, but never freely living. It’s being aware of my surroundings, but lost in another world inside my head.”

During the summer of that year, someone I loved dearly was faced with medical issues, and my family began dealing with a lot of uncertainty. Even when it was all over, I felt lost and changed. I couldn’t explain it, but I wished that someone understood. I then began thinking of the people standing around me that day in Riyadh during the privilege walk, and everyone around the world like us. Did we all feel the same desire to be understood? How could we all feel seen and valued, regardless of our stories? I wanted to hear more about the stories of all those kids I met that day in line. I wanted to understand how we all ended up there, despite our different paths. I wanted to create something that would allow them to express their stories.

That summer, I started Voice of Change , a weblog that allows other teenagers to contribute writing that reflects the experiences that have shaped them. The first story I received was “Purpose,” from a girl struggling with depression. She wrote, “Purpose: a reason, a given, motivation , a point. We all live life because we have a purpose. We realize that there is a point, we have motivation and a reason to live. We look forward to things and create opportunities for ourselves. We see a future. Imagine living life feeling as though you have no purpose… That means no reason, no motivation, simply no point… the best way to describe this feeling is as if [you’re] dead. This feeling is depression.”

After I posted the article, which talked about how depression impacted the author’s life, I received comments, emails and texts from others saying that the article communicated what they needed to hear and couldn’t put into words. This initial response fueled the rest of my work. I began receiving other stories about challenging experiences, ranging from sexual assault and racial discrimination, to losing a loved one and struggling with body image. Here are a few powerful quotes from these articles:

“I’m not sure who or what I’m living for, but I’d never want to risk my family members feeling as I do right now. It’s okay that I’m suffering right now, because I have faith that it will pass, eventually it will.” – “Live On”

“I am not ignorant because I’m Arab. I’m not a terrorist because I’m Muslim. I am not a thug because I’m black. I am not who I am because of what you see on the news. I am who I am because of what I’ve been through, and what I have become.” – “Assume”

“Living with anxiety is like feeling alive through the motions of life, but never freely living. It’s being aware of my surroundings but lost in another world inside my head.” – “I Choose Life”

I see my Voice of Change journey as having so much to do with becoming a better leader. It has helped me to see clearly the type of leader I hope to become. I have developed a stronger perspective by understanding the voices and stories of others. I have become more empathetic to other people’s struggles, a quality I will need when I run my own business one day. You can’t understand your customers’ wants or your employees’ needs if you don’t listen and appreciate where they’re coming from. Also, Voice of Change has shown me how much our experiences shape us and contribute to how we see the world and solve problems. Each person offers a unique voice and a different perspective – all powerful and important in their own way.

Related Links

• The Privilege Walk
• What Is Empathy? (Sesame Street)
• Knowledge@Wharton: The Emotional Intelligence Deficit
• Wharton’s McNulty Leadership Program

Conversation Starters

What is empathy and why is it such an important leadership quality? How is empathy related to storytelling? Use the Related Links with this article if you need to better understand empathy.

How have your experiences shaped you? Share your story in the Comment section of this article.

Maya writes that she has come to appreciate “how much our experiences shape us and contribute to how we see the world and solve problems.” Diversity of thought is incredibly powerful in the business world. Why does it hold such value? How does it enrich the team dynamic and important outcomes?

6 comments on “ Student Essay: The Power of Stories to Inspire Strong Leaders ”

Hi Maya, Thank you for sharing your fantastic story with us. Being able to appreciate the people around you and, in first place, yourself is one of the major keys to success and, most importantly, happiness in life, at least according to my experience. We all come from different environments and experiences, the same ones which make us who we are, in our uniqueness and diversity, as you clearly and beautifully stated in your essay. Appreciation is one of those emotions, if that’s how we want to define it, I have learned to consider and embrace later in life, but it is surely the one all the rest comes down to: appreciation for life, appreciation for love from our beloved ones… Having dealt throughout life with friends who coped with depression and anxiety, I can say I have experienced the emotional upheaval that tends to follow this kind of acknowledgements. It gives you a completely different perspective on the world, on the people that surround you and on the way you look at your very own life. On the other hand, I’ve been lucky enough to feel the wonderful sense of relief and joy which comes after helping this people, which taught me the value of the word, indeed, appreciation. In the same way I’ve been able to help my dearest friends deal with these horrible feelings and find a way out of them, I find what you have done with this very same individuals awesome: not only giving them a voice through the blog, but giving their peers the chance to find sympathy and reassurance in their words. Keep it up! And take care.

Sonder – n. The realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness (The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows).

I believe that sonder, a short and simple made-up word to describe a complex feeling, perfectly captures the spirit of Maya and her article. Maya realized the complexity of the lives of those around her, that every stranger on the leadership trip had their own unique story to tell, filled with their personal struggles. She reaches the conclusion that “each person offers a unique voice and a different perspective – all powerful and important in their own way.”

Sonder, and more broadly, empathy, is a crucial element of being a good leader. I had my own moment of sonder last summer when I had the opportunity to volunteer at my local Chinese senior center. I started volunteering there because I had to fill my school’s requirement for service hours but ended up gaining much more out of it than that. At first, I was wary of taking on the job because my Chinese conversational skills were acceptable at best and rudimentary at worst. However, I quickly found that the seniors were very welcoming and were just happy that someone was willing to sacrifice their time to help out. I performed tasks such as preparing and serving food as well as helped teach ESL and citizenship classes. I learned about the hard work ethic of the workers and volunteers around me while washing apples. I learned about the amiability and habits of the seniors in the lunchroom. There would always be those in the back table playing cards, the younger seniors chatting in the front, and the seasoned mahjong players upstairs. I even had the chance to hear some of their rich stories, stories of their journeys of emigrating from communist China, stories of their successful children, stories of their war experiences, and stories of their hope in America. I truly understood that these seniors, whom I would not have given a second glance on the street, lived such deep and meaningful lives, each of which would be a thrilling standalone novel.

Just like Maya learned to understand those from different backgrounds, I was able to empathize with these seniors and develop an appreciation for their experiences. We should all have empathy for each other in this world full of division and hatred. Sonder helps us have that empathy not only with those close to us but with everyone around us.

When I became the youngest Student Council President of my school, my idea of a strong leader was someone who could command and lead a group of people with total authority the way they like it. So, that’s what I tried to do during my early days as a leader. I thought I would be a strong leader by commanding the student council and demonstrating my full authority over the rest. But after the first month, like Maya, the experience of being a leader took a completely unexpected and inspiring turn. I learned, like Maya, that you have to listen first and speak second. It is by listening to others that makes you a stronger leader because it is easier to command and display your authority. But it is harder to swallow your pride and listen to others when their opinions or stories differ from yours.

Therefore, in the Student Council that I am in, I launched an initiative called “Listen Monday” with the purpose of listening to everyone’s opinions and views in the student council and utilizing them for the betterment of the school.

By understanding the voices of others it has helped me develop a better perspective. I have become more empathetic to others. Listening to others has allowed me to see the full picture that I have never seen. And because I see the bigger picture, I realized that other’s experiences can help shape how I see the world and solve problems. As Maya said, each person offers a unique voice and a different perspective, all-powerful and important in their own way.

I want to thank Maya for inspiring me.

When I became the youngest Student Council President of my school, my idea of a strong leader was someone who could command and lead a group of people with total authority the way they like it. So, that’s what I tried to do during my early days as a leader. I thought I would be a strong leader by commanding the student council and demonstrating my full authority over the rest. But after the first month, like Maya, the experience of being a leader took a completely unexpected and inspiring turn. I learned, like Maya, that you have to listen first and speak second. It is by listening to others that makes you a stronger leader because it is easier to command and display your authority. But it is harder to swallow your pride and listen to others when their opinions or stories differ from yours.

Therefore, in the Student Council that I am in, I launched an initiative called “Listen Monday” with the purpose of listening to everyone’s opinions and views in the student council and utilizing them for the betterment of the school.

By understanding the voices of others it has helped me develop a better perspective. I have become more empathetic to others. Listening to others has allowed me to see the full picture that I have never seen. And because I see the bigger picture, I realized that other’s experiences can help shape how I see the world and solve problems. As Maya said, each person offers a unique voice and a different perspective, all-powerful and important in their own way. I realized exhaustively now that a strong leader is someone that listens first and speak second.

I want to thank Maya for inspiring me to become a better leader.

Hello L Dau K!

Thank you for sharing your experience and lessons as a student council president. Listening to your implementation of listening Mondays has brought me back to a time when I was the storyteller, pouring my life out, not to a student council president, but to my mother.

Before the story begins, I must tell you about my mother. She is a very successful corporate leader of hundreds of people. Of course, when it comes to life, she’s never lost her footing when it comes to parenting. Her dogma for me was always the same as that for her employees. She required me to write a time schedule and reflect on life every day and report my academic progress to her with a PowerPoint presentation every week. Similar to your listening Mondays, but coerced. Of course, these rules also apply to her employees. I argued with her countless times, berating her for treating me, at the time, a 12-year-old, as her employee. Perhaps you have already begun to detest my mother’s parenting philosophy, or that she is just another derelict mother who neglects her children’s emotional needs to give her career 100%. But she was a mother for the first time, and I as her oldest child witnessed her growth and how she became a leader, both to her employees and to me.

Where should I begin my story with this leader? As I counted the episodes that flashed through my mind, neither the long conversation in the evening breeze nor the laughing conversation in the dark living room seemed like the most appropriate beginning of the story. Puzzled, I put down my thoughts and sat down to recall the beginning of our conversations. There’s no longer nameless fear and tension when she approaches me, dreading to hear what she has to say. Instead, I always walked up to her when I found her alone, and the dialogue always began with a sigh. I told her many stories about young love, friends, hobbies, and self-reflection, all parts of me that I was reluctant to reveal in PowerPoints. She is busy all day but never said no when I started a conversation. I could feel that she valued every part of our communication, regardless of how nonsensical it was, taking it wholeheartedly. She would sit down and listen to every word I had to say, and she would take to heart every hint of emotion I tried to convey. She did her best to understand my passions, cater to my needs, and embrace my sentiments. And that’s one of the most valuable lessons she’s taught me as a leader.

My mother’s growth as a leader came naturally to her as she listened to every ebullient story and every heart-wrenching sob. She did what many leaders, even in family relationships, fail to do: give the most attention to her children and subordinates, dwelling on their stories, bringing herself into their emotions, and living their experiences. Simply receiving a comment differentiates from understanding the root of their feedback. Through sharing stories with my mother, as my thoughts became words and leaped out of my mouth, my thoughts received a carrier. The stories I told were imparted with meaning through the process of communication. These words made me who I am and marked every footprint of mine. Not only giving her a chance to guide me but giving me a chance to recourse, bonding two unknown souls by building emotional bridges rather than giving ice-cold PowerPoint presentations. I myself am walking on those bridges, and I will be learning to build them up. Through open communication, we can build bridges high enough to see the world from a bigger view, see the tips of Mt. Everest, hear the mumbles of rhinoceros and vaquitas, and unveil a side of the world that we have never seen before.

In her essay “The Power of Stories to Inspire Strong Leaders”, Maya S. quotes “I was able to understand that although it’s impossible for us to all experience the same things, it is possible for us to try and listen to each other and understand each other’s differences. I began to appreciate the meaning of finding beauty in diversity. During that trip I learned that true leaders listen to the voices of others, and as a result they are able to enrich their own points of view.” This quote taught me that in order to be understood, one must learn to understand.

As an international student living in the states, my school days were certainly different from most of my classmates. There were a lot more plane rides, more hours of memorizing English vocabulary, and less people that paid attention to the struggles I went through. It was hard to focus on the upside of life when I knew that my comfort zone was about 6800 miles away. I felt like I was drowning in my own world, and was unsure of what I needed to do to get out of it.

As time passed, I did learn to embrace my new home. That started with a simple step: Learning about how people here lived. I added Kendrick Lamar and Olivia Rodrigo to my playlist, started to watch the NBA, and reached out for corrections when I didn’t recognize an English word. As I began to understand and appreciate what was around me, it was way easier to fit in. My struggles started to pay off as I received multiple honors and varsity MVP awards. Apart from Academics, I also became much more active in the social circle. I learned more about life here from my new friends, and also taught them some parts of life that I left behind back in Korea. After these changes, I could proudly say that I’m definitely leading my own life.

Maya’s story of the privilege walk reminded me of the change in my perspective before and after trying to understand American culture. At first I was hesitant in getting to know the new environment, but now I see the hidden value of entirely different customs, just like how Maya was able to understand the children with more depth. Furthermore, something Maya did that I greatly appreciate is that she didn’t just stop from enlightenment and took action to advocate for her beliefs. I believe that Maya’s propulsion of creating the “Voice of Change” weblog exemplifies what leaders do to promote their voice to the world. As a person aspiring to be a global leader and a businessman, I was greatly inspired by Maya’s quotes of insight and her action to spread her words.

Our world today is heavily interconnected, and the effects of collaborating across diverse backgrounds have never been more apparent. As I reflect on Maya’s quote and my own understanding, I am reminded that true leaders are distinguished by their ability to seek harmony in differences. My journey from a foreign student drowning in isolation to a confident participant in a global community underscores the transformative power of understanding others to be understood. Of course there are still customs that I cannot resonate with, like pineapple on pizza. But as I step forward into a world of connections and communications, I carry with me the invaluable lesson that true understanding is the cornerstone of meaningful process.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Related Articles

Career insight: author collin williams jr. on what it takes to be a collegiate athlete, business in 3: cell phone forensics, smart homes and wage bias.

• Our Mission

Reflecting on Yourself as a Leader

Schools need leaders who don’t yet think they are leaders and those of us teachers who are apprehensive about embracing the roles and responsibilities of leadership.

It took me a long, long time to accept the notion that as a teacher, I was also a leader; that as a department chair, I was also a leader; and that as a coach, I was also a leader. This was because I was operating within traditional definitions of leadership: I didn't have a formal leadership title -- like  principal -- nor did I have any kind of certificate or degree granting me the role and responsibilities.

But I was a leader -- for my students and for my colleagues -- because leadership has much more to do with how we think about what we do and why than it does about formal titles and degrees. And I imagine that many of you are also leaders whether you're aware of it or not.

Formal and Informal Leadership

Informal leadership is present and essential in all organizations, and informal leadership can be conducive to a school's health and effectiveness, or destructive. Think about your school: Whose thoughts and opinions are most respected and listened to amongst staff? In addition to those in positional leadership roles (the administrators), who else influences staff? Who has a loud voice? Who is respected? Who is feared?

Now think about yourself as a leader. Does the suggestion that you are a leader excite you or scare you? What does it mean to you to be a leader? What might be possible if you thought of yourself as a leader?

I'd like to suggest that in order to transform our schools, we'll need many, many more leaders. We'll need the leaders who don't yet think they are leaders and those of us who are apprehensive about embracing the roles and responsibilities of leadership, and we'll need to have reflected deeply on what we mean by leadership and on who we are as leaders. Towards that end, I'd like to offer you some prompts.

Transformation Starts with Self-Awareness

In my new book, The Art of Coaching Teams , I suggest that to develop healthy teams of educators who can do the hard work of transforming schools, we must start with ourselves as team leaders. We can't tackle unhealthy team dynamics or unfocused meetings until we know who we are as leaders and until we've explored our beliefs around power.

The first area for us to reflect on is around models of leadership in our society. Here are some questions from my book that can support this reflection:

• Who is a leader you admire?
• Who are the leaders in your community, city, and country?
• What kind of leadership do they demonstrate?
• How did they come to be leaders? Can you relate to them?
• What do you think makes a good leader?
• What kind of leader do you aspire to be?

Very few societies have shared agreements about what constitutes good leadership. Depending on your beliefs and values, a good leader might listen to all voices and take them into account when making a decision; or a good leader might consult with a few trusted advisors and then make a decision; or a good leader might make a decision alone based on his or her expert knowledge and experience.

Team leaders can benefit from exploring the big philosophical questions that surround the definition of good leadership. When we are aware of our core values, beliefs, dispositions, preferences, and histories, we can make conscious choices about our leadership stance.

What's Your Leadership Style?

Who you are as a leader is the next big area to explore. Here are some of the questions I offer to guide in this exploration:

• Who held power in your family when you were growing up? What kind of power was that? What was it based on?
• What were you taught about authority in your childhood home? What granted someone authority?
• Why do you lead in the way you do?
• What assumptions are you acting on as a leader about yourself, your team, and the work to be done?
• How does the system in which you are operating impact who you are as a leader?
• How do you negotiate power dynamics as a leader? Where do you notice power playing a role in your leadership?
• What kind of leader do you aspire to be? How do you want others to see you?
• What kind of leader does your team need you to be?
• What kind of leader does the community you serve need you to be?

Leadership is complex and contextual. Our circumstances heavily influence who we are and can be as leaders. In order to understand the complexity, we will all benefit from spending some reflective time considering our backgrounds, beliefs, and actions.

This reflection can help us embrace ourselves as leaders, refine our skill set, and create the change we hope to see in our schools.

• Entertainment
• Environment
• Information Science and Technology
• Social Issues

Home Essay Samples Life Leader

Why I Am A Good Leader

*minimum deadline

Cite this Essay

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below

• Risk Taking
• Parenting Styles

Related Essays

Need writing help?

You can always rely on us no matter what type of paper you need

*No hidden charges

100% Unique Essays

Absolutely Confidential

Money Back Guarantee

By clicking “Send Essay”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement. We will occasionally send you account related emails

You can also get a UNIQUE essay on this or any other topic

Thank you! We’ll contact you as soon as possible.

• Published April 1, 2024
• 9 Minute Read

The Characteristics of a Good Leader

Leaders shape our teams, organizations, communities, and world.

We need good leaders to help guide us and make the essential decisions, big and small, that keep things moving forward.

Our society is usually quick to identify a bad leader, but how can you identify a good one? What would most people say are the qualities of a good leader?

What Good Leadership Looks Like

Based upon our decades of research and experience working with leaders at thousands of organizations around the world, we’ve found that the best leaders consistently possess certain fundamental qualities and skills. Here are 12 essential leadership traits.

12 Essential Leadership Qualities

• Self-Awareness
• Communication
• Learning Agility
• Collaboration

1. Self-Awareness

While this is a more inwardly focused trait, self-awareness and humility are paramount qualities of leadership. The better you understand yourself and recognize your own strengths and weaknesses, the more effective you can be as a leader. Do you know how other people view you and understand how you show up at work and at home? Take the time to learn about the 4 aspects of self-awareness and how to strengthen each component.

Treating people with respect on a daily basis is one of the most important things a leader can do. It helps ease tensions and conflict, fosters trust, and improves your effectiveness.  Creating a culture of respect  is about more than just the absence of disrespect. Respectfulness can be shown in many different ways, but it often starts with showing you truly value others’ perspectives and making an effort to build belonging in the workplace — both critical components of supporting equity, diversity, and inclusion.

3. Compassion

Compassion is one of the most powerful and important acts of leadership. It’s more than simply showing empathy or even listening and seeking to understand — as compassion requires leaders to act on what they learn. After someone shares a concern or speaks up about something, they won’t feel truly heard if their leader doesn’t then take some type of meaningful action on the information, our researchers have found. This is the core of compassionate leadership , and it helps to build trust, increase collaboration, and decrease turnover across organizations.

Motivating others and garnering commitment are essential parts of leadership. Purpose-driven leaders ensure they connect their team’s daily tasks and the values of individual team members to the overall direction of the organization. This can help employees find meaning in their work — which increases engagement, inspires trust, and drives priorities forward. You’ll want to communicate the vision in ways that help others understand it, remember it, and go on to share it themselves.

5. Communication

Effective leadership and effective communication are intertwined . The best leaders are skilled communicators who can communicate in a variety of ways, from transmitting information and storytelling to soliciting input and using active listening techniques . They can communicate well both orally and in writing, and with a wide range of people from different backgrounds, roles, levels, geographies, and more. The quality and effectiveness of communication among leaders at your organization will directly affect the success of your business strategy, too.

6. Learning Agility

Learning agility is the ability to know what to do when you don’t know what to do. If you’re a “quick study” or are able to excel in unfamiliar circumstances, you might already be learning agile. But anybody can foster and increase learning agility through intentional practice and effort. After all, great leaders are really great learners.

7. Collaboration

The most effective leaders can work with a variety of colleagues of different social identities , locations, roles, and experiences. As the world has become more complex and interconnected, good leaders find themselves spanning boundaries and learning to work across various types of divides and organizational silos. When leaders value and embrace collaboration, whether within their teams or cross-functionally, several benefits arise — including increased innovation, higher-performing teams, and a more engaged and empowered workforce.

8. Influence

For some people, “influence” may sound unseemly. But as a leader, you must be able to influence others to get the work done — you cannot do it all alone. Being able to persuade people through thoughtful use of appropriate influencing tactics is an important trait of inspiring, effective leaders. Influence is quite different from manipulation, and it needs to be done authentically and transparently. It requires high levels of emotional intelligence and trust.

9. Integrity

Integrity is an essential leadership trait for the individual and the organization. It’s especially important for top-level executives who are charting the organization’s course and making countless other significant decisions. Our research has found that leader integrity is a potential blind spot for organizations , so make sure you reinforce the importance of honesty and integrity to managers at all levels.

10. Courage

It can be hard to speak up at work, whether you want to voice a new idea, provide feedback to a direct report, or flag a concern for someone above you. That’s part of the reason courage is a key leadership trait — it takes courage to do what’s right! Leaders who promote high levels of psychological safety in the workplace enable their people to speak up freely and share candid concerns without fear of repercussions. This fosters a  coaching culture that supports courage and truth-telling . Courage enables both team members and leaders to take bold actions that move things in the right direction.

11. Gratitude

Being thankful can lead to higher self-esteem, reduced depression and anxiety, and better sleep. Sincere gratitude can even make you a better leader. Yet few people regularly say “thank you” in work settings, even though most people say they’d be willing to work harder for an appreciative boss. The best leaders know how to show frequent gratitude in the workplace .

12. Resilience

Resilience is more than the ability to bounce back from obstacles and setbacks — it’s the ability to respond adaptively to challenges. Practicing resilient leadership means you’ll project a positive outlook that will help others maintain the emotional strength they need to commit to a shared vision, and the courage to move forward and overcome setbacks. A good leader focuses on resilience, both taking care of themselves and also prioritizing leading employee wellbeing , too — thereby enabling better performance for themselves and their teams.

Download a PDF action guide and summary of these characteristics of a good leader, so you always have a visual reminder available of these 12 qualities of good leadership.

Develop the Characteristics of a Good Leader in Yourself & Others

Our 3 core beliefs about leadership & leadership development.

At the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL)®, we’ve been researching the qualities of a good leader and the role of leadership for over 5 decades. Here are 3 of our core beliefs about good leaders and effective leadership.

Good leaders are made, not born.

First, we believe that leaders are made, not born. Put another way, leadership is a skill that can be developed . Good leaders are molded through experience, continued study, intentional effort, and adaptation. So you can strengthen any of these 12 characteristics of a good leader, if you’re open to growth, use your experiences to fuel development , and put in the time and effort toward self-improvement.

Similarly, organizations can help their people hone these top leadership qualities by providing ample opportunities for training, offering support for learning from challenges, and providing access to coaching and mentoring programs .

Leadership is a social process.

It’s also essential to recognize that  leadership is less about one strong or charismatic individual, and more about a group of people working collectively to achieve results together . If you demonstrate several of the characteristics of a good leader, but fail to grasp this key point, chances are you won’t get very far on your own. You may be well-liked and respected, but it will be challenging to accomplish team or organizational goals. At CCL, we like to say that the  outcomes of leadership are about creating direction, alignment, and commitment, or DAC , within a group.

Good leadership never stops.

Also, we believe that leadership isn’t a destination, it’s a journey   — it’s something that you’ll have to work at regularly throughout your career, regardless of what level you reach in your organization or what industry you work in. Different teams, projects, and situations will provide different challenges and require different leadership qualities and competencies to succeed. So you will need to be able to continue to apply these leadership characteristics in different ways throughout your career. Just continually keep learning and growing, and you’ll be an agile learner with a long career .

We Can Help You Develop the Qualities of a Good Leader

Organizations can strengthen leadership qualities and foster deeper levels of engagement at work through providing a variety of on-the-job learning experiences, mentoring, and formal development opportunities. At CCL, we have many award-winning leadership solutions with clients around the world, and we’d be honored to work with you and your organization as well.

But individuals don’t have to wait to begin strengthening these leadership characteristics within themselves. If you decide you want to work proactively on developing your leadership qualities and skills,  download our action guide & visual summary  of this content. And get our tips on how to  convince your boss to make an investment in you  and your future. We’re here to support you every step of the way on your journey to becoming a better leader!

Ready to Take the Next Step?

After you download the 12 Characteristics of a Good Leader , keep on learning and growing: never miss our exclusive leadership insights and tips — subscribe to our newsletters to get our research-based articles, webinars, resources, and guides delivered straight to your inbox. 

Keep these qualities of a good leader top of mind in the future: download a PDF summary of this article as an action guide and visual reminder of the leadership qualities to nurture in yourself, on your team, and at your organization in the future.

Based on Research by

With over a decade of experience in education, Micela provides internal research and evaluation support to build our capacity as a provider of evidence-based leadership solutions in the field of education. She is particularly interested in youth leadership development, using research and evaluation to help improve program implementation, and the role of trust as a critical ingredient for organizational change. She has also co-authored 2 books on youth leadership development: Social-Emotional Leadership: A Guide for Youth Development and Building Bridges: Leadership for You and Me .

Stephanie is a researcher with a background in developmental and educational psychology. Her research at CCL focused primarily on promoting equitable and inclusive organizational cultures, exploring collective leadership through networks, and enhancing motivation and empowerment for leaders across their professional journeys.

Table of Contents

Don't miss a single insight! Get our latest cutting-edge, research-based leadership content sent directly to your inbox.

Related Topics

What to explore next.

With over 30 pages of insights gleaned from our research, this collection of resources includes actionable tips and team discussion questions to help you become a (better) leader with a focus on compassion, wellbeing, and belonging.

This introduction to our leadership philosophy explains how direction, alignment, and commitment (the elements of our DAC framework) are key in how leadership works, connecting exponential potential with collective progress.

Want to set yourself apart as a leader? Arm yourself with these 6 essential skills. Our global research study found that organizations will need these 6 key qualities that their leaders presently lack.

Do you know how to effectively communicate at work? It's the core of everything we do, and yet many of us have significant room for improvement. Get our top tips for leaders.

Stepping into a management role requires a fundamental shift of identity. Learn how to be an effective boss and succeed in your new role with our leadership tips for first-time managers.

Related Solutions

Learn more about our flagship Leadership Development Program (LDP)®, the most widely known and longest-running leadership development training in the world.

Professional leadership coaching deepens and sustains leadership development. Learn more about our world-class leadership coaching services.

Learn more about our leadership training courses, which are targeted to develop the skills leaders need to succeed at all levels of your organization.

The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL)® is a top-ranked, global, nonprofit provider of leadership development and a pioneer in the field of global leadership research. We know from experience how transformative remarkable leaders really can be.

Over the past 50 years, we’ve worked with organizations of all sizes from around the world, including more than 2/3 of the Fortune 1000. Our hands-on development solutions are evidence-based and steeped in our work with hundreds of thousands of leaders at all levels.

My Career Ready Portfolio

How to write your leadership philosophy

Building on the reflection you did to complete your Leadership Vision Board, now is the time to develop your personal leadership philosophy, as it stands today. Keep in mind that this will be a living document that you can return to throughout your life and career and tweak as you enter different seasons of life.  Do not use ChatGPT or other AI platforms to write your philosophy statement. 

My name is Erika Brandt, I am a sophomore at UCF studying Health Science with a Biology minor following the premed-track to potentially become a cardiologist in the future. I have lived in three different countries, Venezuela, Colombia, and the US, and moved around five times. My hobbies are taking care of plants, doing Pilates, running, and cooking healthy foods. I consider myself to be a very open-minded person due to living in different places, and caring which is reflected in my hobbies: I care about myself, my interests, goals, and the people I work with.

My leadership style is being a Servant Leader; what motivates me is leading a group to work towards a greater good to create a better community around us. I like my work environment to be friendly, where everyone feels in a safe place to express their ideas, opinions, and concerns. I value clear communication where all the members of the group or organization deliver a message which gets responded as soon as possible; I also do not like when staff have incomplete information about what is done: everyone should know the good and the bad things that have happened during the job to learn from our mistakes and get the job done better in the future.

As previously mentioned, my purpose as a leader has always been to give to the community. My core values include caring, being compassionate, listening, and working hard. In my opinion, this aligns perfectly with my professional priority to become a Cardiologist; this is because I will be leading a group of healthcare workers to serve the community and improve our patients’ quality of lives. My expectations for myself and my group is for all of us to be passionate about our work and help each other with any issues during the work. I want us to do our job with care and love for others and do it the best way possible; if this is done, then I would consider the result a success.

From my leadership experiences around campus, I have learned to work on a team and step up when needed. In my time as the Treasurer for the Venezuelan Student Association, I had to step up several times as the leader of the events in case the President and the Vice-President were taking care of other tasks. In Be The Match, I had to also start doing the Social Media Director role at top of my Volunteer Officer position since our last Social Media dropped out of the club. On the other hand, from LEAD, I have learned that collaboration, common purpose, and commitment are the three C’s from the seven C’s that are most important for me in a working environment, and values that I have applied ever since I learned them.

All in all, my leadership philosophy consists of being committed to a cause that benefits the community. This must be done by performing the best possible job we can with love, compassion, and care. With this, among the team, there must be good communication and respect.

My Career Ready Portfolio Copyright © 2024 by Virginia A. Koch, PhD is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

10 Personal Statement Essay Examples That Worked

What’s covered:, what is a personal statement.

• Essay 1: Summer Program
• Essay 2: Being Bangladeshi-American
• Essay 3: Why Medicine
• Essay 4: Love of Writing
• Essay 5: Starting a Fire
• Essay 6: Dedicating a Track
• Essay 7: Body Image and Eating Disorders
• Essay 8: Becoming a Coach
• Essay 9: Eritrea
• Essay 10: Journaling
• Is Your Personal Statement Strong Enough?

Your personal statement is any essay that you must write for your main application, such as the Common App Essay , University of California Essays , or Coalition Application Essay . This type of essay focuses on your unique experiences, ideas, or beliefs that may not be discussed throughout the rest of your application. This essay should be an opportunity for the admissions officers to get to know you better and give them a glimpse into who you really are.

In this post, we will share 10 different personal statements that were all written by real students. We will also provide commentary on what each essay did well and where there is room for improvement, so you can make your personal statement as strong as possible!

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Personal Statement Examples

Essay example #1: exchange program.

The twisting roads, ornate mosaics, and fragrant scent of freshly ground spices had been so foreign at first. Now in my fifth week of the SNYI-L summer exchange program in Morocco, I felt more comfortable in the city. With a bag full of pastries from the market, I navigated to a bus stop, paid the fare, and began the trip back to my host family’s house. It was hard to believe that only a few years earlier my mom was worried about letting me travel around my home city on my own, let alone a place that I had only lived in for a few weeks. While I had been on a journey towards self-sufficiency and independence for a few years now, it was Morocco that pushed me to become the confident, self-reflective person that I am today.

As a child, my parents pressured me to achieve perfect grades, master my swim strokes, and discover interesting hobbies like playing the oboe and learning to pick locks. I felt compelled to live my life according to their wishes. Of course, this pressure was not a wholly negative factor in my life –– you might even call it support. However, the constant presence of my parents’ hopes for me overcame my own sense of desire and led me to become quite dependent on them. I pushed myself to get straight A’s, complied with years of oboe lessons, and dutifully attended hours of swim practice after school. Despite all these achievements, I felt like I had no sense of self beyond my drive for success. I had always been expected to succeed on the path they had defined. However, this path was interrupted seven years after my parents’ divorce when my dad moved across the country to Oregon.

I missed my dad’s close presence, but I loved my new sense of freedom. My parents’ separation allowed me the space to explore my own strengths and interests as each of them became individually busier. As early as middle school, I was riding the light rail train by myself, reading maps to get myself home, and applying to special academic programs without urging from my parents. Even as I took more initiatives on my own, my parents both continued to see me as somewhat immature. All of that changed three years ago, when I applied and was accepted to the SNYI-L summer exchange program in Morocco. I would be studying Arabic and learning my way around the city of Marrakesh. Although I think my parents were a little surprised when I told them my news, the addition of a fully-funded scholarship convinced them to let me go.

I lived with a host family in Marrakesh and learned that they, too, had high expectations for me. I didn’t know a word of Arabic, and although my host parents and one brother spoke good English, they knew I was there to learn. If I messed up, they patiently corrected me but refused to let me fall into the easy pattern of speaking English just as I did at home. Just as I had when I was younger, I felt pressured and stressed about meeting their expectations. However, one day, as I strolled through the bustling market square after successfully bargaining with one of the street vendors, I realized my mistake. My host family wasn’t being unfair by making me fumble through Arabic. I had applied for this trip, and I had committed to the intensive language study. My host family’s rules about speaking Arabic at home had not been to fulfill their expectations for me, but to help me fulfill my expectations for myself. Similarly, the pressure my parents had put on me as a child had come out of love and their hopes for me, not out of a desire to crush my individuality.

As my bus drove through the still-bustling market square and past the medieval Ben-Youssef madrasa, I realized that becoming independent was a process, not an event. I thought that my parents’ separation when I was ten had been the one experience that would transform me into a self-motivated and autonomous person. It did, but that didn’t mean that I didn’t still have room to grow. Now, although I am even more self-sufficient than I was three years ago, I try to approach every experience with the expectation that it will change me. It’s still difficult, but I understand that just because growth can be uncomfortable doesn’t mean it’s not important.

What the Essay Did Well

This is a nice essay because it delves into particular character trait of the student and how it has been shaped and matured over time. Although it doesn’t focus the essay around a specific anecdote, the essay is still successful because it is centered around this student’s independence. This is a nice approach for a personal statement: highlight a particular trait of yours and explore how it has grown with you.

The ideas in this essay are universal to growing up—living up to parents’ expectations, yearning for freedom, and coming to terms with reality—but it feels unique to the student because of the inclusion of details specific to them. Including their oboe lessons, the experience of riding the light rail by themselves, and the negotiations with a street vendor helps show the reader what these common tropes of growing up looked like for them personally. 

Another strength of the essay is the level of self-reflection included throughout the piece. Since there is no central anecdote tying everything together, an essay about a character trait is only successful when you deeply reflect on how you felt, where you made mistakes, and how that trait impacts your life. The author includes reflection in sentences like “ I felt like I had no sense of self beyond my drive for success, ” and “ I understand that just because growth can be uncomfortable doesn’t mean it’s not important. ” These sentences help us see how the student was impacted and what their point of view is.

What Could Be Improved

The largest change this essay would benefit from is to show not tell. The platitude you have heard a million times no doubt, but for good reason. This essay heavily relies on telling the reader what occurred, making us less engaged as the entire reading experience feels more passive. If the student had shown us what happens though, it keeps the reader tied to the action and makes them feel like they are there with the student, making it much more enjoyable to read. 

For example, they tell us about the pressure to succeed their parents placed on them: “ I pushed myself to get straight A’s, complied with years of oboe lessons, and dutifully attended hours of swim practice after school.”  They could have shown us what that pressure looked like with a sentence like this: “ My stomach turned somersaults as my rattling knee thumped against the desk before every test, scared to get anything less than a 95. For five years the painful squawk of the oboe only reminded me of my parents’ claps and whistles at my concerts. I mastered the butterfly, backstroke, and freestyle, fighting against the anchor of their expectations threatening to pull me down.”

If the student had gone through their essay and applied this exercise of bringing more detail and colorful language to sentences that tell the reader what happened, the essay would be really great. 

Table of Contents

Essay Example #2: Being Bangladeshi-American

Life before was good: verdant forests, sumptuous curries, and a devoted family.

Then, my family abandoned our comfortable life in Bangladesh for a chance at the American dream in Los Angeles. Within our first year, my father was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. He lost his battle three weeks before my sixth birthday. Facing a new country without the steady presence of my father, we were vulnerable — prisoners of hardship in the land of the free. We resettled in the Bronx, in my uncle’s renovated basement. It was meant to be our refuge, but I felt more displaced than ever. Gone were the high-rise condos of West L.A.; instead, government projects towered over the neighborhood. Pedestrians no longer smiled and greeted me; the atmosphere was hostile, even toxic. Schoolkids were quick to pick on those they saw as weak or foreign, hurling harsh words I’d never heard before.

Meanwhile, my family began integrating into the local Bangladeshi community. I struggled to understand those who shared my heritage. Bangladeshi mothers stayed home while fathers drove cabs and sold fruit by the roadside — painful societal positions. Riding on crosstown buses or walking home from school, I began to internalize these disparities. During my fleeting encounters with affluent Upper East Siders, I saw kids my age with nannies, parents who wore suits to work, and luxurious apartments with spectacular views. Most took cabs to their destinations: cabs that Bangladeshis drove. I watched the mundane moments of their lives with longing, aching to plant myself in their shoes. Shame prickled down my spine. I distanced myself from my heritage, rejecting the traditional panjabis worn on Eid and refusing the torkari we ate for dinner every day. 

As I grappled with my relationship with the Bangladeshi community, I turned my attention to helping my Bronx community by pursuing an internship with Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda. I handled desk work and took calls, spending the bulk of my time actively listening to the hardships constituents faced — everything from a veteran stripped of his benefits to a grandmother unable to support her bedridden grandchild.

I’d never exposed myself to stories like these, and now I was the first to hear them. As an intern, I could only assist in what felt like the small ways — pointing out local job offerings, printing information on free ESL classes, reaching out to non-profits. But to a community facing an onslaught of intense struggles, I realized that something as small as these actions could have vast impacts. Seeing the immediate consequences of my actions inspired me. Throughout that summer, I internalized my community’s daily challenges in a new light. I began to stop seeing the prevalent underemployment and cramped living quarters less as sources of shame. Instead, I saw them as realities that had to be acknowledged, but could ultimately be remedied. I also realized the benefits of the Bangladeshi culture I had been so ashamed of. My Bangla language skills were an asset to the office, and my understanding of Bangladeshi etiquette allowed for smooth communication between office staff and its constituents. As I helped my neighbors navigate city services, I saw my heritage with pride — a perspective I never expected to have.

I can now appreciate the value of my unique culture and background, and of living with less. This perspective offers room for progress, community integration, and a future worth fighting for. My time with Assemblyman Sepulveda’s office taught me that I can be a change agent in enabling this progression. Far from being ashamed of my community, I want to someday return to local politics in the Bronx to continue helping others access the American Dream. I hope to help my community appreciate the opportunity to make progress together. By embracing reality, I learned to live it. Along the way, I discovered one thing: life is good, but we can make it better.

This student’s passion for social justice and civic duty shines through in this essay because of how honest it is. Sharing their personal experience with immigrating, moving around, being an outsider, and finding a community allows us to see the hardships this student has faced and builds empathy towards their situation. However, what really makes it strong is that they go beyond describing the difficulties they faced and explain the mental impact it had on them as a child: Shame prickled down my spine. I distanced myself from my heritage, rejecting the traditional panjabis worn on Eid and refusing the torkari we ate for dinner every day. 

The rejection of their culture presented at the beginning of the essay creates a nice juxtaposition with the student’s view in the latter half of the essay and helps demonstrate how they have matured. They use their experience interning as a way to delve into a change in their thought process about their culture and show how their passion for social justice began. Using this experience as a mechanism to explore their thoughts and feelings is an excellent example of how items that are included elsewhere on your application should be incorporated into your essay.

This essay prioritizes emotions and personal views over specific anecdotes. Although there are details and certain moments incorporated throughout to emphasize the author’s points, the main focus remains on the student and how they grapple with their culture and identity.  

One area for improvement is the conclusion. Although the forward-looking approach is a nice way to end an essay focused on social justice, it would be nice to include more details and imagery in the conclusion. How does the student want to help their community? What government position do they see themselves holding one day? 

A more impactful ending might look like the student walking into their office at the New York City Housing Authority in 15 years and looking at the plans to build a new development in the Bronx just blocks away from where the grew up that would provide quality housing to people in their Bangladeshi community. They would smile while thinking about how far they have come from that young kid who used to be ashamed of their culture. 

Essay Example #3: Why Medicine

I took my first trip to China to visit my cousin Anna in July of 2014. Distance had kept us apart, but when we were together, we fell into all of our old inside jokes and caught up on each other’s lives. Her sparkling personality and optimistic attitude always brought a smile to my face. This time, however, my heart broke when I saw the effects of her brain cancer; she had suffered from a stroke that paralyzed her left side. She was still herself in many ways, but I could see that the damage to her brain made things difficult for her. I stayed by her every day, providing the support she needed, whether assisting her with eating and drinking, reading to her, or just watching “Friends.” During my flight back home, sorrow and helplessness overwhelmed me. Would I ever see Anna again? Could I have done more to make Anna comfortable? I wished I could stay in China longer to care for her. As I deplaned, I wondered if I could transform my grief to help other children and teenagers in the US who suffered as Anna did.

The day after I got home, as jet lag dragged me awake a few minutes after midnight, I remembered hearing about the Family Reach Foundation (FRF) and its work with children going through treatments at the local hospital and their families. I began volunteering in the FRF’s Children’s Activity Room, where I play with children battling cancer. Volunteering has both made me appreciate my own health and also cherish the new relationships I build with the children and families. We play sports, make figures out of playdoh, and dress up. When they take on the roles of firefighters or fairies, we all get caught up in the game; for that time, they forget the sanitized, stark, impersonal walls of the pediatric oncology ward. Building close relationships with them and seeing them giggle and laugh is so rewarding — I love watching them grow and get better throughout their course of treatment.

Hearing from the parents about their children’s condition and seeing the children recover inspired me to consider medical research. To get started, I enrolled in a summer collegelevel course in Abnormal Psychology. There I worked with Catelyn, a rising college senior, on a data analysis project regarding Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Together, we examined the neurological etiology of DID by studying four fMRI and PET cases. I fell in love with gathering data and analyzing the results and was amazed by our final product: several stunning brain images showcasing the areas of hyper and hypoactivity in brains affected by DID. Desire quickly followed my amazement — I want to continue this project and study more brains. Their complexity, delicacy, and importance to every aspect of life fascinate me. Successfully completing this research project gave me a sense of hope; I know I am capable of participating in a large scale research project and potentially making a difference in someone else’s life through my research.

Anna’s diagnosis inspired me to begin volunteering at FRF; from there, I discovered my desire to help people further by contributing to medical research. As my research interest blossomed, I realized that it’s no coincidence that I want to study brains—after all, Anna suffered from brain cancer. Reflecting on these experiences this past year and a half, I see that everything I’ve done is connected. Sadly, a few months after I returned from China, Anna passed away. I am still sad, but as I run a toy truck across the floor and watch one of the little patients’ eyes light up, I imagine that she would be proud of my commitment to pursue medicine and study the brain.

This essay has a very strong emotional core that tugs at the heart strings and makes the reader feel invested. Writing about sickness can be difficult and doesn’t always belong in a personal statement, but in this case it works well because the focus is on how this student cared for her cousin and dealt with the grief and emotions surrounding her condition. Writing about the compassion she showed and the doubts and concerns that filled her mind keeps the focus on the author and her personality. 

This continues when she again discusses the activities she did with the kids at FRF and the personal reflection this experience allowed her to have. For example, she writes: Volunteering has both made me appreciate my own health and also cherish the new relationships I build with the children and families. We play sports, make figures out of playdoh, and dress up.

Concluding the essay with the sad story of her cousin’s passing brings the essay full circle and returns to the emotional heart of the piece to once again build a connection with the reader. However, it finishes on a hopeful note and demonstrates how this student has been able to turn a tragic experience into a source of lifelong inspiration. 

One thing this essay should be cognizant of is that personal statements should not read as summaries of your extracurricular resume. Although this essay doesn’t fully fall into that trap, it does describe two key extracurriculars the student participated in. However, the inclusion of such a strong emotional core running throughout the essay helps keep the focus on the student and her thoughts and feelings during these activities.

To avoid making this mistake, make sure you have a common thread running through your essay and the extracurriculars provide support to the story you are trying to tell, rather than crafting a story around your activities. And, as this essay does, make sure there is lots of personal reflection and feelings weaved throughout to focus attention to you rather than your extracurriculars. 

Essay Example #4: Love of Writing

“I want to be a writer.” This had been my answer to every youthful discussion with the adults in my life about what I would do when I grew up. As early as elementary school, I remember reading my writing pieces aloud to an audience at “Author of the Month” ceremonies. Bearing this goal in mind, and hoping to gain some valuable experience, I signed up for a journalism class during my freshman year. Despite my love for writing, I initially found myself uninterested in the subject and I struggled to enjoy the class. When I thought of writing, I imagined lyrical prose, profound poetry, and thrilling plot lines. Journalism required a laconic style and orderly structure, and I found my teacher’s assignments formulaic and dull. That class shook my confidence as a writer. I was uncertain if I should continue in it for the rest of my high school career.

Despite my misgivings, I decided that I couldn’t make a final decision on whether to quit journalism until I had some experience working for a paper outside of the classroom. The following year, I applied to be a staff reporter on our school newspaper. I hoped this would help me become more self-driven and creative, rather than merely writing articles that my teacher assigned. To my surprise, my time on staff was worlds away from what I experienced in the journalism class. Although I was unaccustomed to working in a fast-paced environment and initially found it burdensome to research and complete high-quality stories in a relatively short amount of time, I also found it exciting. I enjoyed learning more about topics and events on campus that I did not know much about; some of my stories that I covered in my first semester concerned a chess tournament, a food drive, and a Spanish immersion party. I relished in the freedom I had to explore and learn, and to write more independently than I could in a classroom.

Although I enjoyed many aspects of working for the paper immediately, reporting also pushed me outside of my comfort zone. I am a shy person, and speaking with people I did not know intimidated me. During my first interview, I met with the basketball coach to prepare for a story about the team’s winning streak. As I approached his office, I felt everything from my toes to my tongue freeze into a solid block, and I could hardly get out my opening questions. Fortunately, the coach was very kind and helped me through the conversation. Encouraged, I prepared for my next interview with more confidence. After a few weeks of practice, I even started to look forward to interviewing people on campus. That first journalism class may have bored me, but even if journalism in practice was challenging, it was anything but tedious.

Over the course of that year, I grew to love writing for our school newspaper. Reporting made me aware of my surroundings, and made me want to know more about current events on campus and in the town where I grew up. By interacting with people all over campus, I came to understand the breadth of individuals and communities that make up my high school. I felt far more connected to diverse parts of my school through my work as a journalist, and I realized that journalism gave me a window into seeing beyond my own experiences. The style of news writing may be different from what I used to think “writing” meant, but I learned that I can still derive exciting plots from events that may have gone unnoticed if not for my stories. I no longer struggle to approach others, and truly enjoy getting to know people and recognizing their accomplishments through my writing. Becoming a writer may be a difficult path, but it is as rewarding as I hoped when I was young.

This essay is clearly structured in a manner that makes it flow very nicely and contributes to its success. It starts with a quote to draw in the reader and show this student’s life-long passion for writing. Then it addresses the challenges of facing new, unfamiliar territory and how this student overcame it. Finally, it concludes by reflecting on this eye-opening experience and a nod to their younger self from the introduction. Having a well-thought out and sequential structure with clear transitions makes it extremely easy for the reader to follow along and take away the main idea.

Another positive aspect of the essay is the use of strong and expressive language. Sentences like “ When I thought of writing, I imagined lyrical prose, profound poetry, and thrilling plot lines ” stand out because of the intentional use of words like “lyrical”, “profound”, and “thrilling” to convey the student’s love of writing. The author also uses an active voice to capture the readers’ attention and keep us engaged. They rely on their language and diction to reveal details to the reader, for instance saying “ I felt everything from my toes to my tongue freeze into a solid block ” to describe feeling nervous.

This essay is already very strong, so there isn’t much that needs to be changed. One thing that could take the essay from great to outstanding would be to throw in more quotes, internal dialogue, and sensory descriptors.

It would be nice to see the nerves they felt interviewing the coach by including dialogue like “ Um…I want to interview you about…uh…”.  They could have shown their original distaste for journalism by narrating the thoughts running through their head. The fast-paced environment of their newspaper could have come to life with descriptions about the clacking of keyboards and the whirl of people running around laying out articles.

Essay Example #5: Starting a Fire

Was I no longer the beloved daughter of nature, whisperer of trees? Knee-high rubber boots, camouflage, bug spray—I wore the garb and perfume of a proud wild woman, yet there I was, hunched over the pathetic pile of stubborn sticks, utterly stumped, on the verge of tears. As a child, I had considered myself a kind of rustic princess, a cradler of spiders and centipedes, who was serenaded by mourning doves and chickadees, who could glide through tick-infested meadows and emerge Lyme-free. I knew the cracks of the earth like the scars on my own rough palms. Yet here I was, ten years later, incapable of performing the most fundamental outdoor task: I could not, for the life of me, start a fire. 

Furiously I rubbed the twigs together—rubbed and rubbed until shreds of skin flaked from my fingers. No smoke. The twigs were too young, too sticky-green; I tossed them away with a shower of curses, and began tearing through the underbrush in search of a more flammable collection. My efforts were fruitless. Livid, I bit a rejected twig, determined to prove that the forest had spurned me, offering only young, wet bones that would never burn. But the wood cracked like carrots between my teeth—old, brittle, and bitter. Roaring and nursing my aching palms, I retreated to the tent, where I sulked and awaited the jeers of my family. 

Rattling their empty worm cans and reeking of fat fish, my brother and cousins swaggered into the campsite. Immediately, they noticed the minor stick massacre by the fire pit and called to me, their deep voices already sharp with contempt. 

“Where’s the fire, Princess Clara?” they taunted. “Having some trouble?” They prodded me with the ends of the chewed branches and, with a few effortless scrapes of wood on rock, sparked a red and roaring flame. My face burned long after I left the fire pit. The camp stank of salmon and shame. 

In the tent, I pondered my failure. Was I so dainty? Was I that incapable? I thought of my hands, how calloused and capable they had been, how tender and smooth they had become. It had been years since I’d kneaded mud between my fingers; instead of scaling a white pine, I’d practiced scales on my piano, my hands softening into those of a musician—fleshy and sensitive. And I’d gotten glasses, having grown horrifically nearsighted; long nights of dim lighting and thick books had done this. I couldn’t remember the last time I had lain down on a hill, barefaced, and seen the stars without having to squint. Crawling along the edge of the tent, a spider confirmed my transformation—he disgusted me, and I felt an overwhelming urge to squash him. 

Yet, I realized I hadn’t really changed—I had only shifted perspective. I still eagerly explored new worlds, but through poems and prose rather than pastures and puddles. I’d grown to prefer the boom of a bass over that of a bullfrog, learned to coax a different kind of fire from wood, having developed a burn for writing rhymes and scrawling hypotheses. 

That night, I stayed up late with my journal and wrote about the spider I had decided not to kill. I had tolerated him just barely, only shrieking when he jumped—it helped to watch him decorate the corners of the tent with his delicate webs, knowing that he couldn’t start fires, either. When the night grew cold and the embers died, my words still smoked—my hands burned from all that scrawling—and even when I fell asleep, the ideas kept sparking—I was on fire, always on fire.

This student is an excellent writer, which allows a simple story to be outstandingly compelling. The author articulates her points beautifully and creatively through her immense use of details and figurative language. Lines like “a rustic princess, a cradler of spiders and centipedes, who was serenaded by mourning doves and chickadees,” and “rubbed and rubbed until shreds of skin flaked from my fingers,” create vivid images that draw the reader in. 

The flowery and descriptive prose also contributes to the nice juxtaposition between the old Clara and the new Clara. The latter half of the essay contrasts elements of nature with music and writing to demonstrate how natural these interests are for her now. This sentence perfectly encapsulates the contrast she is trying to build: “It had been years since I’d kneaded mud between my fingers; instead of scaling a white pine, I’d practiced scales on my piano, my hands softening into those of a musician—fleshy and sensitive.”

In addition to being well-written, this essay is thematically cohesive. It begins with the simple introduction “Fire!” and ends with the following image: “When the night grew cold and the embers died, my words still smoked—my hands burned from all that scrawling—and even when I fell asleep, the ideas kept sparking—I was on fire, always on fire.” This full-circle approach leaves readers satisfied and impressed.

There is very little this essay should change, however one thing to be cautious about is having an essay that is overly-descriptive. We know from the essay that this student likes to read and write, and depending on other elements of her application, it might make total sense to have such a flowery and ornate writing style. However, your personal statement needs to reflect your voice as well as your personality. If you would never use language like this in conversation or your writing, don’t put it in your personal statement. Make sure there is a balance between eloquence and your personal voice.

Essay Example #6: Dedicating a Track

“Getting beat is one thing – it’s part of competing – but I want no part in losing.” Coach Rob Stark’s motto never fails to remind me of his encouragement on early-morning bus rides to track meets around the state. I’ve always appreciated the phrase, but an experience last June helped me understand its more profound, universal meaning.

Stark, as we affectionately call him, has coached track at my high school for 25 years. His care, dedication, and emphasis on developing good character has left an enduring impact on me and hundreds of other students. Not only did he help me discover my talent and love for running, but he also taught me the importance of commitment and discipline and to approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running. When I learned a neighboring high school had dedicated their track to a longtime coach, I felt that Stark deserved similar honors.

Our school district’s board of education indicated they would only dedicate our track to Stark if I could demonstrate that he was extraordinary. I took charge and mobilized my teammates to distribute petitions, reach out to alumni, and compile statistics on the many team and individual champions Stark had coached over the years. We received astounding support, collecting almost 3,000 signatures and pages of endorsements from across the community. With help from my teammates, I presented this evidence to the board.

They didn’t bite. 

Most members argued that dedicating the track was a low priority. Knowing that we had to act quickly to convince them of its importance, I called a team meeting where we drafted a rebuttal for the next board meeting. To my surprise, they chose me to deliver it. I was far from the best public speaker in the group, and I felt nervous about going before the unsympathetic board again. However, at that second meeting, I discovered that I enjoy articulating and arguing for something that I’m passionate about.

Public speaking resembles a cross country race. Walking to the starting line, you have to trust your training and quell your last minute doubts. When the gun fires, you can’t think too hard about anything; your performance has to be instinctual, natural, even relaxed. At the next board meeting, the podium was my starting line. As I walked up to it, familiar butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Instead of the track stretching out in front of me, I faced the vast audience of teachers, board members, and my teammates. I felt my adrenaline build, and reassured myself: I’ve put in the work, my argument is powerful and sound. As the board president told me to introduce myself, I heard, “runners set” in the back of my mind. She finished speaking, and Bang! The brief silence was the gunshot for me to begin. 

The next few minutes blurred together, but when the dust settled, I knew from the board members’ expressions and the audience’s thunderous approval that I had run quite a race. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough; the board voted down our proposal. I was disappointed, but proud of myself, my team, and our collaboration off the track. We stood up for a cause we believed in, and I overcame my worries about being a leader. Although I discovered that changing the status quo through an elected body can be a painstakingly difficult process and requires perseverance, I learned that I enjoy the challenges this effort offers. Last month, one of the school board members joked that I had become a “regular” – I now often show up to meetings to advocate for a variety of causes, including better environmental practices in cafeterias and safer equipment for athletes.

Just as Stark taught me, I worked passionately to achieve my goal. I may have been beaten when I appealed to the board, but I certainly didn’t lose, and that would have made Stark proud.

This essay effectively conveys this student’s compassion for others, initiative, and determination—all great qualities to exemplify in a personal statement!

Although they rely on telling us a lot of what happened up until the board meeting, the use of running a race (their passion) as a metaphor for public speaking provides a lot of insight into the fear that this student overcame to work towards something bigger than themself. Comparing a podium to the starting line, the audience to the track, and silence to the gunshot is a nice way of demonstrating this student’s passion for cross country running without making that the focus of the story.

The essay does a nice job of coming full circle at the end by explaining what the quote from the beginning meant to them after this experience. Without explicitly saying “ I now know that what Stark actually meant is…” they rely on the strength of their argument above to make it obvious to the reader what it means to get beat but not lose. 

One of the biggest areas of improvement in the intro, however, is how the essay tells us Stark’s impact rather than showing us: His care, dedication, and emphasis on developing good character has left an enduring impact on me and hundreds of other students. Not only did he help me discover my talent and love for running, but he also taught me the importance of commitment and discipline and to approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running.

The writer could’ve helped us feel a stronger emotional connection to Stark if they had included examples of Stark’s qualities, rather than explicitly stating them. For example, they could’ve written something like: Stark was the kind of person who would give you gas money if you told him your parents couldn’t afford to pick you up from practice. And he actually did that—several times. At track meets, alumni regularly would come talk to him and tell him how he’d changed their lives. Before Stark, I was ambivalent about running and was on the JV team, but his encouragement motivated me to run longer and harder and eventually make varsity. Because of him, I approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running.

Essay Example #7: Body Image and Eating Disorders

I press the “discover” button on my Instagram app, hoping to find enticing pictures to satisfy my boredom. Scrolling through, I see funny videos and mouth-watering pictures of food. However, one image stops me immediately. A fit teenage girl with a “perfect body” relaxes in a bikini on a beach. Beneath it, I see a slew of flattering comments. I shake with disapproval over the image’s unrealistic quality. However, part of me still wants to have a body like hers so that others will make similar comments to me.

I would like to resolve a silent issue that harms many teenagers and adults: negative self image and low self-esteem in a world where social media shapes how people view each other. When people see the façades others wear to create an “ideal” image, they can develop poor thought patterns rooted in negative self-talk. The constant comparisons to “perfect” others make people feel small. In this new digital age, it is hard to distinguish authentic from artificial representations.

When I was 11, I developed anorexia nervosa. Though I was already thin, I wanted to be skinny like the models that I saw on the magazine covers on the grocery store stands. Little did I know that those models probably also suffered from disorders, and that photoshop erased their flaws. I preferred being underweight to being healthy. No matter how little I ate or how thin I was, I always thought that I was too fat. I became obsessed with the number on the scale and would try to eat the least that I could without my parents urging me to take more. Fortunately, I stopped engaging in anorexic behaviors before middle school. However, my underlying mental habits did not change. The images that had provoked my disorder in the first place were still a constant presence in my life.

By age 15, I was in recovery from anorexia, but suffered from depression. While I used to only compare myself to models, the growth of social media meant I also compared myself to my friends and acquaintances. I felt left out when I saw my friends’ excitement about lake trips they had taken without me. As I scrolled past endless photos of my flawless, thin classmates with hundreds of likes and affirming comments, I felt my jealousy spiral. I wanted to be admired and loved by other people too. However, I felt that I could never be enough. I began to hate the way that I looked, and felt nothing in my life was good enough. I wanted to be called “perfect” and “body goals,” so I tried to only post at certain times of day to maximize my “likes.” When that didn’t work, I started to feel too anxious to post anything at all.  

Body image insecurities and social media comparisons affect thousands of people – men, women, children, and adults – every day. I am lucky – after a few months of my destructive social media habits, I came across a video that pointed out the illusory nature of social media; many Instagram posts only show off good things while people hide their flaws. I began going to therapy, and recovered from my depression. To address the problem of self-image and social media, we can all focus on what matters on the inside and not what is on the surface. As an effort to become healthy internally, I started a club at my school to promote clean eating and radiating beauty from within. It has helped me grow in my confidence, and today I’m not afraid to show others my struggles by sharing my experience with eating disorders. Someday, I hope to make this club a national organization to help teenagers and adults across the country. I support the idea of body positivity and embracing difference, not “perfection.” After all, how can we be ourselves if we all look the same?

This essay covers the difficult topics of eating disorders and mental health. If you’re thinking about covering similar topics in your essay, we recommend reading our post Should You Talk About Mental Health in College Essays?

The short answer is that, yes, you can talk about mental health, but it can be risky. If you do go that route, it’s important to focus on what you learned from the experience.

The strength of this essay is the student’s vulnerability, in excerpts such as this: I wanted to be admired and loved by other people too. However, I felt that I could never be enough. I began to hate the way that I looked, and felt nothing in my life was good enough. I wanted to be called “perfect” and “body goals,” so I tried to only post at certain times of day to maximize my “likes.”

The student goes on to share how they recovered from their depression through an eye-opening video and therapy sessions, and they’re now helping others find their self-worth as well. It’s great that this essay looks towards the future and shares the writer’s goals of making their club a national organization; we can see their ambition and compassion.

The main weakness of this essay is that it doesn’t focus enough on their recovery process, which is arguably the most important part. They could’ve told us more about the video they watched or the process of starting their club and the interactions they’ve had with other members. Especially when sharing such a vulnerable topic, there should be vulnerability in the recovery process too. That way, the reader can fully appreciate all that this student has overcome.

Essay Example #8: Becoming a Coach

”Advanced females ages 13 to 14 please proceed to staging with your coaches at this time.” Skittering around the room, eyes wide and pleading, I frantically explained my situation to nearby coaches. The seconds ticked away in my head; every polite refusal increased my desperation.

Despair weighed me down. I sank to my knees as a stream of competitors, coaches, and officials flowed around me. My dojang had no coach, and the tournament rules prohibited me from competing without one.

Although I wanted to remain strong, doubts began to cloud my mind. I could not help wondering: what was the point of perfecting my skills if I would never even compete? The other members of my team, who had found coaches minutes earlier, attempted to comfort me, but I barely heard their words. They couldn’t understand my despair at being left on the outside, and I never wanted them to understand.

Since my first lesson 12 years ago, the members of my dojang have become family. I have watched them grow up, finding my own happiness in theirs. Together, we have honed our kicks, blocks, and strikes. We have pushed one another to aim higher and become better martial artists. Although my dojang had searched for a reliable coach for years, we had not found one. When we attended competitions in the past, my teammates and I had always gotten lucky and found a sympathetic coach. Now, I knew this practice was unsustainable. It would devastate me to see the other members of my dojang in my situation, unable to compete and losing hope as a result. My dojang needed a coach, and I decided it was up to me to find one.

I first approached the adults in the dojang – both instructors and members’ parents. However, these attempts only reacquainted me with polite refusals. Everyone I asked told me they couldn’t devote multiple weekends per year to competitions. I soon realized that I would have become the coach myself.

At first, the inner workings of tournaments were a mystery to me. To prepare myself for success as a coach, I spent the next year as an official and took coaching classes on the side. I learned everything from motivational strategies to technical, behind-the-scenes components of Taekwondo competitions. Though I emerged with new knowledge and confidence in my capabilities, others did not share this faith.

Parents threw me disbelieving looks when they learned that their children’s coach was only a child herself. My self-confidence was my armor, deflecting their surly glances. Every armor is penetrable, however, and as the relentless barrage of doubts pounded my resilience, it began to wear down. I grew unsure of my own abilities.

Despite the attack, I refused to give up. When I saw the shining eyes of the youngest students preparing for their first competition, I knew I couldn’t let them down. To quit would be to set them up to be barred from competing like I was. The knowledge that I could solve my dojang’s longtime problem motivated me to overcome my apprehension.

Now that my dojang flourishes at competitions, the attacks on me have weakened, but not ended. I may never win the approval of every parent; at times, I am still tormented by doubts, but I find solace in the fact that members of my dojang now only worry about competing to the best of their abilities.

Now, as I arrive at a tournament with my students, I close my eyes and remember the past. I visualize the frantic search for a coach and the chaos amongst my teammates as we competed with one another to find coaches before the staging calls for our respective divisions. I open my eyes to the exact opposite scene. Lacking a coach hurt my ability to compete, but I am proud to know that no member of my dojang will have to face that problem again.

This essay begins with an in-the-moment narrative that really illustrates the chaos of looking for a coach last-minute. We feel the writer’s emotions, particularly her dejectedness, at not being able to compete. Starting an essay in media res  is a great way to capture the attention of your readers and build anticipation for what comes next.

Through this essay, we can see how gutsy and determined the student is in deciding to become a coach themselves. She shows us these characteristics through their actions, rather than explicitly telling us: To prepare myself for success as a coach, I spent the next year as an official and took coaching classes on the side.  Also, by discussing the opposition she faced and how it affected her, the student is open and vulnerable about the reality of the situation.

The essay comes full circle as the author recalls the frantic situations in seeking out a coach, but this is no longer a concern for them and their team. Overall, this essay is extremely effective in painting this student as mature, bold, and compassionate.

The biggest thing this essay needs to work on is showing not telling. Throughout the essay, the student tells us that she “emerged with new knowledge and confidence,” she “grew unsure of her own abilities,” and she “refused to give up”. What we really want to know is what this looks like.

Instead of saying she “emerged with new knowledge and confidence” she should have shared how she taught a new move to a fellow team-member without hesitation. Rather than telling us she “grew unsure of her own abilities” she should have shown what that looked like by including her internal dialogue and rhetorical questions that ran through her mind. She could have demonstrated what “refusing to give up” looks like by explaining how she kept learning coaching techniques on her own, turned to a mentor for advice, or devised a plan to win over the trust of parents. 

Essay Example #9: Eritrea

No one knows where Eritrea is.

On the first day of school, for the past nine years, I would pensively stand in front of a class, a teacher, a stranger  waiting for the inevitable question: Where are you from?

I smile politely, my dimples accentuating my ambiguous features. “Eritrea,” I answer promptly and proudly. But I  am always prepared. Before their expression can deepen into confusion, ready to ask “where is that,” I elaborate,  perhaps with a fleeting hint of exasperation, “East Africa, near Ethiopia.”

Sometimes, I single out the key-shaped hermit nation on a map, stunning teachers who have “never had a student  from there!” Grinning, I resist the urge to remark, “You didn’t even know it existed until two minutes ago!”

Eritrea is to the East of Ethiopia, its arid coastline clutches the lucrative Red Sea. Battle scars litter the ancient  streets – the colonial Italian architecture lathered with bullet holes, the mosques mangled with mortar shells.  Originally part of the world’s first Christian kingdom, Eritrea passed through the hands of colonial Italy, Britain, and  Ethiopia for over a century, until a bloody thirty year war of Independence liberated us.

But these are facts that anyone can know with a quick Google search. These are facts that I have memorised and compounded, first from my Grandmother and now from pristine books  borrowed from the library.

No historical narrative, however, can adequately capture what Eritrea is.  No one knows the aroma of bushels of potatoes, tomatoes, and garlic – still covered in dirt – that leads you to the open-air market. No one knows the poignant scent of spices, arranged in orange piles reminiscent of compacted  dunes.  No one knows how to haggle stubborn herders for sheep and roosters for Christmas celebrations as deliberately as my mother. No one can replicate the perfect balance of spices in dorho and tsebhi as well as my grandmother,  her gnarly hands stirring the pot with ancient precision (chastising my clumsy knife work with the potatoes).  It’s impossible to learn when the injera is ready – the exact moment you have to lift the lid of the mogogo. Do it too  early (or too late) and the flatbread becomes mangled and gross. It is a sixth sense passed through matriarchal  lineages.

There are no sources that catalogue the scent of incense that wafts through the sunlit porch on St. Michael’s; no  films that can capture the luminescence of hundreds of flaming bonfires that fluoresce the sidewalks on Kudus  Yohannes, as excited children chant Ge’ez proverbs whose origin has been lost to time.  You cannot learn the familiarity of walking beneath the towering Gothic figure of the Enda Mariam Cathedral, the  crowds undulating to the ringing of the archaic bells.  I have memorized the sound of the rains hounding the metal roof during kiremti , the heat of the sun pounding  against the Toyota’s window as we sped down towards Ghinda , the opulent brilliance of the stars twinkling in a  sky untainted by light pollution, the scent of warm rolls of bani wafting through the streets at precisely 6 o’clock each day…

I fill my flimsy sketchbook with pictures from my memory. My hand remembers the shapes of the hibiscus drifting  in the wind, the outline of my grandmother (affectionately nicknamed a’abaye ) leaning over the garden, the bizarre architecture of the Fiat Tagliero .  I dice the vegetables with movements handed down from generations. My nose remembers the scent of frying garlic, the sourness of the warm tayta , the sharpness of the mit’mt’a …

This knowledge is intrinsic.  “I am Eritrean,” I repeat. “I am proud.”  Within me is an encyclopedia of history, culture, and idealism.

Eritrea is the coffee made from scratch, the spices drying in the sun, the priests and nuns. Eritrea is wise, filled with ambition, and unseen potential.  Eritrea isn’t a place, it’s an identity.

This is an exceptional essay that provides a window into this student’s culture that really makes their love for their country and heritage leap off the page. The sheer level of details and sensory descriptors this student is able to fit in this space makes the essay stand out. From the smells, to the traditions, sounds, and sights, the author encapsulates all the glory of Eritrea for the reader. 

The vivid images this student is able to create for the reader, whether it is having the tedious conversation with every teacher or cooking in their grandmother’s kitchen, transports us into the story and makes us feel like we are there in the moment with the student. This is a prime example of an essay that shows , not tells.

Besides the amazing imagery, the use of shorter paragraphs also contributes to how engaging this essay is. Employing this tactic helps break up the text to make it more readable and it isolates ideas so they stick out more than if they were enveloped in a large paragraph.

Overall, this is a really strong essay that brings to life this student’s heritage through its use of vivid imagery. This essay exemplifies what it means to show not tell in your writing, and it is a great example of how you can write an intimate personal statement without making yourself the primary focus of your essay. 

There is very little this essay should improve upon, but one thing the student might consider would be to inject more personal reflection into their response. Although we can clearly take away their deep love and passion for their homeland and culture, the essay would be a bit more personal if they included the emotions and feelings they associate with the various aspects of Eritrea. For example, the way their heart swells with pride when their grandmother praises their ability to cook a flatbread or the feeling of serenity when they hear the bells ring out from the cathedral. Including personal details as well as sensory ones would create a wonderful balance of imagery and reflection.

Essay Example #10: Journaling

Flipping past dozens of colorful entries in my journal, I arrive at the final blank sheet. I press my pen lightly to the page, barely scratching its surface to create a series of loops stringing together into sentences. Emotions spill out, and with their release, I feel lightness in my chest. The stream of thoughts slows as I reach the bottom of the page, and I gently close the cover of the worn book: another journal finished.

I add the journal to the stack of eleven books on my nightstand. Struck by the bittersweet sensation of closing a chapter of my life, I grab the notebook at the bottom of the pile to reminisce.

“I want to make a flying mushen to fly in space and your in it” – October 2008

Pulling back the cover of my first Tinkerbell-themed diary, the prompt “My Hopes and Dreams” captures my attention. Though “machine” is misspelled in my scribbled response, I see the beginnings of my past obsession with outer space. At the age of five, I tore through novels about the solar system, experimented with rockets built from plastic straws, and rented Space Shuttle films from Blockbuster to satisfy my curiosities. While I chased down answers to questions as limitless as the universe, I fell in love with learning. Eight journals later, the same relentless curiosity brought me to an airplane descending on San Francisco Bay.

“I wish I had infinite sunsets” – July 2019

I reach for the charcoal notepad near the top of the pile and open to the first page: my flight to the Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes. While I was excited to explore bioengineering, anxiety twisted in my stomach as I imagined my destination, unsure of whether I could overcome my shyness and connect with others.

With each new conversation, the sweat on my palms became less noticeable, and I met students from 23 different countries. Many of the moments where I challenged myself socially revolved around the third story deck of the Jerry house. A strange medley of English, Arabic, and Mandarin filled the summer air as my friends and I gathered there every evening, and dialogues at sunset soon became moments of bliss. In our conversations about cultural differences, the possibility of an afterlife, and the plausibility of far-fetched conspiracy theories, I learned to voice my opinion. As I was introduced to different viewpoints, these moments challenged my understanding of the world around me. In my final entries from California, I find excitement to learn from others and increased confidence, a tool that would later allow me to impact my community.

“The beauty in a tower of cans” – June 2020

Returning my gaze to the stack of journals, I stretch to take the floral-patterned book sitting on top. I flip through, eventually finding the beginnings of the organization I created during the outbreak of COVID-19. Since then, Door-to-Door Deliveries has woven its way through my entries and into reality, allowing me to aid high-risk populations through free grocery delivery.

With the confidence I gained the summer before, I took action when seeing others in need rather than letting my shyness hold me back. I reached out to local churches and senior centers to spread word of our services and interacted with customers through our website and social media pages. To further expand our impact, we held two food drives, and I mustered the courage to ask for donations door-to-door. In a tower of canned donations, I saw the value of reaching out to help others and realized my own potential to impact the world around me.

I delicately close the journal in my hands, smiling softly as the memories reappear, one after another. Reaching under my bed, I pull out a fresh notebook and open to its first sheet. I lightly press my pen to the page, “And so begins the next chapter…”

The structuring of this essay makes it easy and enjoyable to read. The student effectively organizes their various life experiences around their tower of journals, which centers the reader and makes the different stories easy to follow. Additionally, the student engages quotes from their journals—and unique formatting of the quotes—to signal that they are moving in time and show us which memory we should follow them to.

Thematically, the student uses the idea of shyness to connect the different memories they draw out of their journals. As the student describes their experiences overcoming shyness at the Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes and Door-to-Door Deliveries, this essay can be read as an Overcoming Obstacles essay.

At the end of this essay, readers are fully convinced that this student is dedicated (they have committed to journaling every day), thoughtful (journaling is a thoughtful process and, in the essay, the student reflects thoughtfully on the past), and motivated (they flew across the country for a summer program and started a business). These are definitely qualities admissions officers are looking for in applicants!

Although this essay is already exceptionally strong as it’s written, the first journal entry feels out of place compared to the other two entries that discuss the author’s shyness and determination. It works well for the essay to have an entry from when the student was younger to add some humor (with misspelled words) and nostalgia, but if the student had either connected the quote they chose to the idea of overcoming a fear present in the other two anecdotes or if they had picked a different quote all together related to their shyness, it would have made the entire essay feel more cohesive.

Where to Get Your Personal Statement Edited

Do you want feedback on your personal statement? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

Next Step: Supplemental Essays

Essay Guides for Each School

How to Write a Stellar Extracurricular Activity College Essay

4 Tips for Writing a Diversity College Essay

How to Write the “Why This College” Essay

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Home — Essay Samples — Life — Personal Experience — My Past Personal Experiences as a Leader and Follower

My Past Personal Experiences as a Leader and Follower

• Categories: Leadership Personal Experience

About this sample

Words: 1738 |

Published: Mar 1, 2019

Words: 1738 | Pages: 4 | 9 min read

Works Cited

• Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and practice (8th ed.). SAGE Publications.
• Yukl, G. (2013). Leadership in organizations (8th ed.). Pearson.
• Bass, B. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2006). Transformational leadership (2nd ed.). Psychology Press.
• Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. Harper & Row.
• Kotter, J. P. (1990). What leaders really do. Harvard Business Review, 68(3), 103-111.
• Avolio, B. J., & Yammarino, F. J. (Eds.). (2013). Transformational and charismatic leadership: The road ahead. Emerald Group Publishing.
• House, R. J., & Aditya, R. N. (1997). The social scientific study of leadership: Quo vadis? Journal of Management, 23(3), 409-473.
• Conger, J. A. (1998). Charismatic leadership in organizations. SAGE Publications.
• Hogan, R., Curphy, G. J., & Hogan, J. (1994). What we know about leadership: Effectiveness and personality. American Psychologist, 49(6), 493-504.
• Bennis, W. G., & Nanus, B. (1985). Leaders: Strategies for taking charge. Harper & Row.

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Dr. Heisenberg

Verified writer

• Expert in: Business Life

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

5 pages / 2232 words

5 pages / 2344 words

7 pages / 3269 words

7 pages / 3125 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Personal Experience

My experience with the Pennsville Soccer Association has helped me become a more sociable person. I have always been extremely shy, ever since I was a kid. I can remember starting soccer at four years old and not really wanting [...]

Ancona, R. (2018). Latino/a art activism: Engaging culture and change. University of Texas Press.Ayala, K. J., & Medina, C. (Eds.). (2017). Latino art and culture in the United States: The Mexican-American experience. [...]

To start my Chevening Scholarship essay, I want to provide samples of my recent experiences. I worked as a program officer on HIV/AIDS program in Nyanza region in 2013. This made me realize that many orphaned children lacked [...]

March 25th, 2016, remains etched in my memory as a day that irrevocably altered the course of my life. It was a pivotal moment, one that ushered in an extraordinary opportunity to embark on an unparalleled journey of education [...]

“Rome was not built in a day,” and basically, there exist in a society, two different category of successful persons of different discipline – the talented and the hard worker. Some people are talented at making hard work and [...]

In crafting this leadership application essay, I am prompted to reflect on the formative experiences that have shaped my leadership abilities and underscore my aspiration to serve as a peer leader. As the oldest boy among four [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

Crafting a Personal Leadership Philosophy

This essay about personal leadership philosophy examines the essential elements that define and influence effective leadership. It discusses the importance of self-awareness, ethics and integrity, vision, and adaptability as core components of a leader’s guiding principles. Self-awareness allows leaders to recognize their strengths and weaknesses, enhancing their ability to manage teams empathetically. Ethics and integrity build trust and foster a transparent work culture. A clear vision motivates and aligns team efforts towards common goals, while adaptability is crucial in responding to changing business landscapes and team needs. The essay emphasizes that a personal leadership philosophy is not static but evolves through continuous learning and reflection, serving as both a personal declaration and a practical framework that guides leaders in making decisions and inspiring their teams effectively.

How it works

In the domain of leadership, possessing a personal ideology resembles possessing a compass; it steers your judgments, influences your engagements, and molds the ethos of your team.

Crafting a personal leadership ideology entails introspection and a profound comprehension of your own fundamental principles and convictions regarding leading others. This exposition delves into the imperative nature of developing a personal leadership ideology, its typical constituents, and the ramifications it can wield on your efficacy as a leader and the performance of your team.

At its core, a personal leadership ideology mirrors who you are as a leader. It transcends mere actions, delving into the reasons and methodologies behind them. This ideology serves as your proclamation of how you intend to lead and is shaped by your past encounters, your aspirations, and your moral compass. It functions as both a mirror reflecting your leadership demeanor and a chart guiding your prospective leadership odyssey.

Self-awareness forms the bedrock of any robust leadership ideology. It revolves around recognizing your strengths and acknowledging your weaknesses. A leader cognizant of their limitations is better equipped to seek appropriate assistance and more adept at leveraging their strengths. Self-awareness also encompasses comprehending your emotional triggers and mastering their effective management. Leaders imbued with self-awareness often exhibit heightened empathy, fostering a conducive and receptive work milieu.

Ethics and integrity stand as pillars of paramount importance. They constitute the ethical threads weaving your leadership fabric. Leaders who prioritize ethical conduct and operate with integrity earn the trust of their followers. This trust is pivotal in cultivating a transparent and open culture where team members feel empowered to voice their thoughts and apprehensions. Furthermore, a leader’s steadfast commitment to ethics sets the ethos for the entire organization, fostering a culture of integrity and equity that can mitigate conflicts and augment team unity.

Vision emerges as another pivotal facet of a personal leadership ideology. It entails possessing a lucid comprehension of where you aim to steer and articulating this trajectory in a compelling and relatable manner. Leaders endowed with a robust vision inspire their teams to transcend boundaries by delineating clear objectives and making strategic decisions congruent with this vision. Such clarity aids in galvanizing the team, propelling them toward shared goals, and instilling a sense of purpose transcending mundane tasks.

Adaptability in leadership warrants emphasis, particularly in today’s dynamic, swiftly evolving business milieu. A leader’s capacity to adapt their strategies and approach in response to evolving circumstances significantly influences their success. Adaptability also extends to comprehending and addressing the needs of your team. As teams undergo metamorphosis, a malleable leader adjusts their leadership style to adeptly guide their members.

Developing a personal leadership ideology is not a solitary event but an ongoing voyage of growth and adaptation. It entails perpetual learning, introspection, and feedback from others. Leaders often discern that their ideology evolves as they accrue more experience and glean insights from diverse leadership scenarios and opportunities.

Practically, possessing a well-defined leadership ideology confers myriad benefits. It serves as a compass during intricate decision-making processes, furnishing a coherent framework for evaluating options. It fosters consistency in leadership conduct, pivotal for cultivating credibility. Moreover, when leaders articulate their ideology to their teams, it elucidates expectations and cultivates enhanced alignment and efficiency.

A personal leadership ideology is indispensable not solely for guiding one’s own actions but for inspiring and leading others efficaciously. It shapes how leaders approach their roles, interact with their teams, and navigate the vicissitudes of leadership. Consequently, a personal leadership ideology transcends a mere set of guiding principles; it morphs into a living document reflecting a leader’s evolution, values, and strategies for effecting a positive impact on their organization and those under their purview. In essence, it epitomizes the leader’s pledge to lead conscientiously and competently, ensuring that their leadership is as impactful as it is discerning.

Cite this page

Crafting a Personal Leadership Philosophy. (2024, May 01). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/crafting-a-personal-leadership-philosophy/

"Crafting a Personal Leadership Philosophy." PapersOwl.com , 1 May 2024, https://papersowl.com/examples/crafting-a-personal-leadership-philosophy/

PapersOwl.com. (2024). Crafting a Personal Leadership Philosophy . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/crafting-a-personal-leadership-philosophy/ [Accessed: 10 May. 2024]

"Crafting a Personal Leadership Philosophy." PapersOwl.com, May 01, 2024. Accessed May 10, 2024. https://papersowl.com/examples/crafting-a-personal-leadership-philosophy/

"Crafting a Personal Leadership Philosophy," PapersOwl.com , 01-May-2024. [Online]. Available: https://papersowl.com/examples/crafting-a-personal-leadership-philosophy/. [Accessed: 10-May-2024]

PapersOwl.com. (2024). Crafting a Personal Leadership Philosophy . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/crafting-a-personal-leadership-philosophy/ [Accessed: 10-May-2024]

Don't let plagiarism ruin your grade

Hire a writer to get a unique paper crafted to your needs.

Our writers will help you fix any mistakes and get an A+!

Please check your inbox.

You can order an original essay written according to your instructions.

Trusted by over 1 million students worldwide

1. Tell Us Your Requirements

2. Pick your perfect writer

3. Get Your Paper and Pay

Hi! I'm Amy, your personal assistant!

Don't know where to start? Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert.

short deadlines

100% Plagiarism-Free

Certified writers

More From Forbes

5 high-income skills every freelancer should learn in 2024.

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to Linkedin

Freelancing is not all glamor; if you don't learn essential skills from the beginning, it could end ... [+] up being disastrous

Deciding to work as a freelancer as opposed to pursuing the traditional 9-5 comes with its consequences.

Sure, you are financially independent and free, and you don't need to worry about being accountable to anyone except yourself and your clients. However, with all that newfound freedom comes some harsh realities and tough decisions that are to be made.

Alongside unlimited income potential and the ability to make money online while working entirely remotely from home, comes the pressure of managing dozens of responsibilities at once, with no team to fall back on in case you get sick or simply want a break.

Time off? That's out of the question as a full-time self-employed contractor, at least when you're trying to get the business off the ground.

A second opinion or an extra pair of eyes? You've got to be a little more resourceful to get those when you're a freelance professional.

The things we take for granted as being a part of our daily professional lives within the conventional workplace environment, are no longer easily accessible when you're freelancing. And unfortunately, the lack of having processes and people in place, such as a set work schedule, management team, and team members and departments to support you, provide advice, and hold you accountable, can lead to unsuccessful outcomes as a freelancer.

This certainly does not signal positive news, because unlike a job, the money that you make as a freelancer is directly linked to the output of work and how strategic and efficient you are with it.

Samsung Issues Critical Update For Millions Of Galaxy Users

How to watch real martha baby reindeer interview with piers morgan, how to get ‘arena breakout infinite’ beta keys from twitch drops.

With all of this in mind, here are five essential skills every freelancer needs, to make a high income:

1. Learn When To Say No

Saying "no" as a freelancer means that you allow yourself the grace of taking a short break to rest, for your wellbeing and mental health; it means that you refuse to accept anything less than the fee you state, and will not tolerate the attempt of would-be clients to barter down your services, complain about fees, or offer you opportunities for "exposure" without pay, when in actual fact, you don't need their "exposure" because you have already established industry credibility.

Say "no" to subtle leaches that will rob you of your high-earning potential, such as people who only want to talk, complain, and debate, but do not see the big picture as you do and refuse to encourage or support you in your freelancing career.

Say "no" to distractions. One minute here and there will add up and decrease your productivity.

And finally, say "no" to accepting projects that are unethical by nature, either in the practices your client expects you to adhere to, or from the company themselves.

The skill of knowing when to say "no" can make all the difference in boosting your income or ... [+] decreasing your productivity and sales

2. Learn When To Say Yes

At the same time, know when to say yes. Develop the skill of being open-minded and responsive to accepting the right opportunities strategically. Say "yes" even if you feel scared or nervous, even if you feel that you're not good enough. Embrace the fear and be confident in who you are, and in your personal brand. Say "yes" to adapting to change, trying unconventional approaches, and being agile in your business practices, ensuring that you adapt your services and/or products to reflect changing customer demands and market priorities.

3. Learn How To Sell Yourself

One of the most essential high-income skills any freelancer can possess in their toolkit is the ability to sell themselves. Selling yourself is more than personal branding; the concept of selling yourself means that you believe in yourself and your value as a freelancer, and you are able to translate and articulate that value in a clear and concise way to stakeholders and potential clients.

This skill will manifest itself in your social media posts, in initial meetings and consultations with clients, and in all your digital marketing and advertizing.

4. Learn Personal Branding

Personal branding is an indispensable skill to learn as a freelancer. This is what will set you apart from others, especially if you operate in a competitive industry. Think outside the box and ask yourself, How do I want to be portrayed within my industry? What is the image and the core statement I am trying to get across?

5. Learn Social Media Management

Lastly, but certainly not least, comes social media management as the next high-income skill for freelancers to learn. There are almost five billion social media users , so this is highly fertile ground for you as a freelancer.

You may not have a marketing team or social media manager like the ones that existed in your last job, but you still can build a strong social media following and presence (which will convert into passive income if you're effective at it) on your own.

Research various social media platforms and decide which one(s) are most suitable to expand your reach and online footprint as a freelancer. Then analyze your market and look at the various types of content that people on these platforms tend to consume the most. Develop a social media strategy (you can even ask ChatGPT to help you create a basic one for your freelancing business) and apply this strategy to each social media platform and business profile.

Being able to clearly articulate your market value as a freelancer is critical to business growth

When you master these five high-income skills, you will be able to seize new opportunities, thrive in times of crisis, make money effectively online, and maintain your own wellbeing in the process.

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions

Join The Conversation

One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. 

Forbes Community Guidelines

Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.

In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site's  Terms of Service.   We've summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.

Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:

• False or intentionally out-of-context or misleading information
• Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language or threats of any kind
• Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author
• Content that otherwise violates our site's  terms.

User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:

• Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected
• Racist, sexist, homophobic or other discriminatory comments
• Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk
• Actions that otherwise violate our site's  terms.

So, how can you be a power user?

• Stay on topic and share your insights
• Feel free to be clear and thoughtful to get your point across
• ‘Like’ or ‘Dislike’ to show your point of view.
• Protect your community.
• Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules.

Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site's  Terms of Service.

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

Using Data to Design Your Hybrid Work Policies

• Heidi Grant,
• Ginnie Carlier,
• Frank Giampietro

Surprising insights from EY’s survey of its U.S. hybrid, full in-person, and fully remote employees.

We’ve seen how fully remote work can lead to a loss of connection and development opportunities, particularly those that require observational learning, or learning by watching someone else do it. However, people still want to work from home at least some of the time because of the greater work-life balance and personal productivity that they experience. But what is the right amount of time to be in person? How can corporate policymakers and team leaders get the best of both worlds? The authors discuss how Ernst & Young LLP (EY U.S.) has taken a data-driven approach to questions around hybrid work. Their data comparing the performance and well-being of hybrid employees with their fully in-person and remote counterparts has yielded (often surprising) insights from which other organizations may benefit.

Despite years of effort and copious amounts of thought leadership (some of it of questionable value), leaders across industries are still struggling to figure out how to create policies that balance their desire to see employees back in the office with employees’ undiminished desire for flexibility. Managers are also struggling to make these arrangements and policies work and keep their teams engaged in an era of unprecedented uncertainty and burnout .

• Heidi Grant is a social psychologist who researches, writes, and speaks about the science of motivation. Her most recent book is Reinforcements: How to Get People to Help You . She’s also the author of Nine Things Successful People Do Differently and No One Understands You and What to Do About It . She is EY US Director of Learning R&D.
• GC Ginnie Carlier is EY Americas Vice Chair of Talent.
• FG Frank Giampietro is EY Americas Chief Wellbeing Officer.

Partner Center

Trump trial recap: Trump demands mistrial after damaging Stormy Daniels testimony

Judge juan merchan denied trump's request for a mistrial after daniels' detailed testimony about her purported sexual encounter with the reality tv star..

Editor's note: This page reflects the news from Donald Trump's trial on Tuesday, May 7. For the latest news on the hush money case , follow our live updates from the courtroom for Thursday, May 9 .

NEW YORK — Porn star Stormy Daniels withstood hours of questioning by the defense on the 13th day of Donald Trump 's hush money trial, as lawyers for the former president accused her of trying to blackmail Trump ahead of the 2016 election with her story of a tawdry sexual encounter.

Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee , faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money deal with Daniels.

Daniels' testimony began with her telling prosecutors of an alleged sexual encounter with Trump, including details such as the reality TV star's silky pajamas and the gold tweezers she saw in his hotel suite bathroom. Daniels testified about the heart of the case against Trump − a $130,000 payment she received to remain silent before the 2016 election.

Just before Trump's team began cross-examining Daniels, the judge denied their request for a mistrial. Trump lawyer Todd Blanche argued Daniels said things that were only meant to embarrass Trump and "to inflame this jury," and it was "impossible to come back from" it.

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

Judge Juan Merchan agreed some of her testimony went too far, but he didn't think it reached the point of a mistrial.

Here are USA TODAY's highlights from inside and outside the Manhattan courtroom:

Trump demands mistrial in angry posts

In a series of posts to his own social media site, Truth Social, Donald Trump again denounced the hush money trial after a day of detailed, embarrassing and potentially damaging testimony from Stormy Daniels .

"THE PROSECUTION, WHICH HAS NO CASE, HAS GONE TOO FAR. MISTRIAL!" he wrote. Judge Juan Merchan earlier on Tuesday denied a defense request for a mistrial before beginning its cross examination of Daniels.

"This Witch Hunt is FALSE ANCIENT HISTORY that was fully adjudicated by the Voters in the 2016 Presidential Election," he wrote, blaming the prosecution on a Democratic cabal.

−Dan Morrison

More: Would cameras in the courtroom change Donald Trump's New York hush money trial?

Trump calls Stormy Daniels’ testimony ‘revealing’

Former President Donald Trump didn’t mention porn actress Stormy Daniels outside the courtroom, but he said the day of her testimony in his New York hush money trial was “revealing.”

“This was a very big day, a very revealing day,” Trump said. “As you can see, their case is falling apart.”

Trump didn’t detail what he thought went wrong for the prosecution, but he urged television viewers to listen to academics he said have called the case a “disgrace.”

Daniels testified about having sex with Trump in 2006, while he was married, and then receiving $130,000 from Trump’s former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, not to talk about it in 2016 before the presidential election.

More: Freezing temps and colorful characters: Trump's hush money trial from the inside

Trump is charged with falsifying business records to reimburse Cohen. But he's denied having sex with Daniels, and said he didn’t know about the payment.

Trump lawyer Susan Necheles asked Daniels whether she extorted Trump and whether she'd spent years making money off her claims.

Daniels denied blackmailing Trump, but she acknowledged seeking money for her story. She also said she hopes to avoid paying Trump hundreds of thousands of dollars in court-ordered legal fees after losing a defamation suit against him. Daniels said she wanted to see Trump held accountable.

--Bart Jansen

Tuesday testimony ends with Daniels still on the witness stand

Judge Juan Merchan announced an end to the day's proceedings just before the normal 4:30 p.m. EDT end time. Stormy Daniels was still being cross-examined by Trump lawyer Susan Necheles. Wednesday is an off day in the trial, so that cross-examination is expected to resume on Thursday.

– Aysha Bagchi

More: Judge Juan Merchan threatens Donald Trump with jail time if he keeps violating gag order

Daniels denies wanting to blackmail Trump in 2016

Daniels described wanting her story of a sexual encounter with Trump to be told in 2016.

"I didn't care for how much, I just wanted the story out there," Daniels said. Daniels added that was why she held a press conference where she gave the press her account for free.

Necheles asked Daniels to confirm she wanted to extort Trump. "False," Daniels said with emotion. 

"Well, that's what you did, right?" Necheles asked. "False," Daniels said again, putting emphasis on the word.

Daniels says she didn't authorize her lawyer to deny Trump encounter to gossip site

Trump lawyer Susan Necheles suggested that Daniels had authorized her former lawyer Keith Davidson to deny that she and Trump had a sexual encounter to "thedirty.com" in 2011, when the now-defunct gossip site had posted about it. 

Daniels said she never spoke to site, that she absolutely wanted the post removed, and Davidson simply told the site to take the story down.

More: 'What have we done?' Stormy Daniels' attorney thought hush money aided Trump in 2016 election

Daniels says she felt Gloria Allred wanted her to accuse Trump of 'basically rape'

Trump lawyer Susan Necheles asked Stormy Daniels about a conversation Daniels had with Gloria Allred , a famed lawyer for many sexual assault victims. Necheles suggested Daniels didn't tell Allred about having had sex with Trump. Daniels at one point said on the stand that she had told Allred, but later she suggested she didn't because she felt pressured to accuse Trump of forcing her.

"She wanted me to accuse him of forced – basically rape," Daniels said. "She wanted to force me into saying things that were not true," Daniels added. For that reason, Daniels left out the sex, she testified.

Diana Florence, a former prosecutor at the Manhattan district attorney's office, said Daniels may have helped her standing with the jury by showing she was unwilling to lie about Trump for the high-powered lawyer Allred.

"The fact that she was not willing to go there is good for her credibility," Florence told USA TODAY. The harder Trump's defense team pushed Daniels, she said, "the more sympathetic she became."

– Aysha Bagchi and Dan Morrison

Trump lawyer suggests Daniels claimed sex with Trump to make money

Trump lawyer Susan Necheles is suggesting to the jury through her line of questioning that Daniels' story of sex with Trump is about money.

"You've been making money by claiming to have had sex with President Trump for more than a decade, right?" Necheles asked Daniels.

Daniels responded that she's been making money by telling the story of what happened to her.

Necheles shot back with a question again on the story making Daniels a lot of money.

"It has also cost me a lot of money," Daniels replied.

'I hope I don't have to pay him no matter what happens': Daniels

Trump lawyer Susan Necheles continued cross-examining Daniels about her failure to pay Trump legal fees that a California court determined Daniels owed. Necheles indicated Daniels failed to fill out bank account information on a form related to the issue. "Do you have bank accounts?" Necheles asked. "Yes," Daniels responded. "I didn't fill out this form."

"I hope I don't have to pay him no matter what happens," Daniels added.

Trump lawyer raises voice as she questions Daniels

Trump lawyer Susan Necheles raised her voice in an angry tone as she asked Daniels about not wanting to take any money out of her own pocket to pay Trump the legal fees a California court ordered Daniels to pay. Those fees were described in earlier testimony. Trump has sued in Florida to collect them, Daniels said earlier.

The judge sustained an objection from the prosecution when Necheles raised her voice, and Necheles asked again in a calmer tone.

'Am I correct that you hate President Trump?' 'Yes.'

"Am I correct that you hate President Trump?" Trump lawyer Susan Necheles asked Daniels early into the cross-examination. "Yes" was Daniels' simple reply.

Necheles also asked Daniels to confirm she wants Trump to go to jail. "If he is found guilty, absolutely," Daniels said.

Cross-examination of Stormy Daniels has begun

Donald Trump's defense lawyer Susan Necheles has begun cross-examining Daniels.

Daniels shown Trump social media post calling her 'horse face'

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger showed Stormy Daniels a Truth Social post by Trump that was dated March 15, 2023 and referred to Daniels as "horse face" and "sleaze bag," while also denying he has seen or spoken to her since they met on a golf course. Hoffinger noted that meant he was effectively denying all of Daniels' story about what happened between them after that golf course meeting. Daniels agreed.

Daniels participated in Michael Cohen podcast

Daniels testified that she went on Michael Cohen's podcast "because I wanted him to apologize to me." She said he did apologize, and she ended up joining him on the podcast a second time.

Daniels describes defamation case in which Trump won legal fees

Daniels said her former lawyer, Michael Avenatti, filed a defamation case against Trump on her behalf. She said she didn't want Avenatti to do that because it seemed "risky" and "not worth it."

Avenatti released a sketch later of the man Daniels described earlier today having encountered in 2011 in a parking lot. Trump tweeted that sketch was a con job, Daniels testified. The defamation claim only had to do with that tweet about whether the sketch was a con job, Daniels said. She confirmed in response to a question from Hoffinger that the defamation claim didn't have to do with whether or not she was paid before the election, or whether she had a sexual encounter with Trump, or whether she had any other interactions with Trump.

Asked by Hoffinger if the court in that case made any findings about Daniels' credibility, Daniels responded: "There were none."

That court called Trump's "con job" statement rhetorical hyperbole, or something suggesting it was just an exaggeration, Daniels confirmed to Hoffinger. The court awarded Trump legal fees that Daniels said she still hasn't paid both because of the cost and because she didn't think it was fair. Trump has now sued Daniels for those legal fees, but Daniels said nothing in Trump's New York criminal case will affect the legal fees lawsuit.

Daniels says she was freed from non-disclosure agreement

Stormy Daniels testified that she has been freed from the non-disclosure agreement that formed part of the $130,000 hush money deal that was closed ahead of the 2016 election. She confirmed to prosecutor Susan Hoffinger that a California court awarded her legal fees based on finding she was free from the non-disclosure agreement.

Daniels describes hiring Avenatti and seeking to tell her story

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger and Stormy Daniels are moving through a series of events quickly. Daniels described hiring Michael Avenatti, who is now in prison on various crimes including embezzlement, as a lawyer. She eventually sought to tell her own story, she said.

2018 story on Daniels payment caused 'chaos' in her life: testimony

Stormy Daniels has resumed her testimony. Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger showed a photo of a Jan. 12, 2018 Wall Street Journal article describing the hush money deal designed to keep her quiet about the alleged affair ahead of the 2016 election. Hoffinger asked Daniels how the story affected her life. "Chaos," Daniels replied.

"Suddenly I was front and foremost everywhere," Daniels added. The article "blew my cover," for lack of another way of saying it, she said. Daniels mentioned that she and her daughter were ostracized from things in their life. Judge Merchan sustained an objection to that last line of testimony.

Judge willing to provide 'limiting instruction' about Daniels parking lot story

Judge Merchan said after the lunch break that he is willing to provide a "limiting instruction" to the jurors at some point, if Trump's defense team wants it. A limiting instruction is typically an instruction to only consider evidence for certain purposes, and not for others. For instance, a judge might tell jurors not to consider testimony that a man shouted "Fire!" in a crowded theater when it comes to assessing whether there was a fire, but to instead just consider how the exclamation affected people in the audience.

Merchan was asking about giving an instruction on Daniels' story that a man came up to her and threatened her in a parking lot in 2011. The incident was after Daniels gave an interview about her alleged sexual encounter with Trump to In Touch Weekly magazine, although the interview wasn't published until 2018. She said the man "threatened" her not to keeping telling her story about the encounter with Trump.

Where is the Trump trial?

Trump’s hush money trial is happening at the New York County Supreme Court in New York state, according to a media advisory. The location is 100 Centre St., Criminal Term, Part 59, Room 1530.

The proceedings normally start at 9:30 a.m. EDT, and the trial typically includes an off day on Wednesdays. 

– Sudiksha Kochi

Judge denies Trump motion for mistrial

Judge Juan Merchan denied Trump lawyer Todd Blanche's request for a mistrial. Merchan said as a "threshold" matter, some of the things Daniels testified to probably would have been "better left unsaid," but he does think there were "guardrails in place." He noted he had instructed the prosecution that there were certain details that they did not need to get into.

Merchan added that he was "not dismissing" what Blanche was saying, and repeated some things would have been better left unsaid. But, Merchan said, he doesn't think we're at the point of a mistrial, noting that, where there were objections, they were often sustained.

"I will also note," Merchan added, "I was surprised" there were not more objections. He noted he at one point raised an issue himself to curtail Daniels' testimony.

"The court has done everything that I can possibly do to protect both sides and to ensure fairness," Merchan said. Whether these are new stories or not, the remedy is to cross-examine Daniels on that, he added.

Before Merchan denied the request, prosecutor Susan Hoffinger said a mistrial wasn't called for. Hoffinger disputed some of Blanche's claims about what was new in Daniels' testimony, in particular her description that Trump didn't wear a condom.

Trump lawyer calls for mistrial based on Stormy Daniels testimony

After the lunch break, Todd Blanche said "there should be a mistrial" based on Stormy Daniels' testimony.

He said her story was "way different" from the story she was "peddling" in 2016 – the information she was "supposedly" kept from the voters.

Blanche also raised concerns about aspects of Daniels' testimony that he said raised issues about consent with the alleged sexual encounter, including that she blacked out and that Trump didn't wear a condom after testimony from her employer that condoms were required at her workplace.

Aside from "pure embarrassment," the only purpose of the testimony given "is to inflame this jury to not look at the evidence that matters," Blanche said. He noted Judge Merchan sustained objections from the defense, but said the jury still heard it. He said that just over lunch, everyone's reporting "that she's suggesting consent."

He added that she said she only had water on the evening of the alleged sexual encounter but she doesn't remember anything.

This is the kind of testimony that makes it "impossible to come back from," Blanche said.

Daniels testified earlier to a power imbalance between her and Trump when she allegedly came out of bathroom and saw him poised on a bed in his underwear, but she also said she didn't feel physically threatened. She said she laughed nervously and at first tried to make a joke and step around to leave.

Court breaks for lunch

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger suggested she was at a good spot in her questions for Daniels to take a break, and Judge Juan Merchan announced the lunch break. Proceedings will start up again at 2 p.m. EDT.

Daniels describes hush money deal

Daniels described the hush money deal that is at the heart of this case : the $130,000 Michael Cohen ultimately paid to keep her quiet ahead of the 2016 election about her alleged affair with Trump. She said she understood Michael Cohen to be representing Trump. She said she didn't negotiate the dollar figure and cared some but not much about the money. She said her financial outlook at the time was "the best" it had ever been. She said she was directing 10 movies a year at that time and no longer lived in expensive California.

Daniels gives In Touch interview on encounter and receives threat: testimony

Daniels described giving an interview to In Touch Weekly magazine in 2011, which was eventually published in 2018 . Daniels discussed her alleged sexual encounter with Trump in the interview. Daniels testified that, later in 2011, she was in a parking lot with her infant daughter on the way to a workout class when she was approached by a man who threatened her not to continue to tell her story about her encounter with Trump.

Daniels said she didn't tell police at the time because the man told her not to say anything and she was scared. She said she also didn't tell her boyfriend at the time because he was struggling with other things, and also she hadn't told him previously about sex with Trump, so to tell him then when his world was already "exploding" wouldn't have been good.

Trump tells Daniels he couldn't get her on The Apprentice: testimony

Daniels said Trump later told her he hadn't been able to get her on one of his "The Apprentice" brand shows. He referenced how another adult film actress was going to be on the show. Daniels said that woman made a guest appearance when her husband was on the show. Trump thought Daniels would be mad, Daniels testified, seeming to be referring to the other actress who had an appearance. But Daniels testified she didn't care.

Daniels said that was the last time she talked to Trump. She said she sometimes got calls from a blocked New York number, but didn't take them.

Daniels describes more sexual advances by Trump

Daniels described meeting Trump later at a bungalow. He kept trying to make sexual advances, but she told him she was on her period. They had some discussion about "The Apprentice," but a lot less of it than she thought there would be, she said. There was no real update about getting her on the show. She stayed between one. and two hours, she said.

Daniels said she met other hush money recipient, Karen McDougal

Daniels described meeting former Playboy model Karen McDougal at an event that Trump was at, although Daniels didn't know who McDougal was at the time. McDougal also received a hush money payment before the 2016 election to stay quiet about an alleged affair with Trump.

Daniels describes meeting Trump and Ben Roethlisberger at nightclub

Stormy Daniels said she later met Trump at a nightclub, after his bodyguard Keith reached out asking if she would be willing to meet Trump. Daniels said when she arrived he was sitting at a booth. He wasn't drinking but there was a bar, and he was with his friend: former NFL Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Trump later gave Daniels the phone number of someone named "Rhona," saying Daniels could get in touch with Trump again through Rhona. That appears to be a reference to Rhona Graff, Trump's former executive assistant, who has already testified in the trial. Graff described creating a contact information entry on Daniels for Trump, and seeing Daniels in a reception area for an appointment at one time.

'Fantastic together': Trump after hotel encounter, per Daniels

Daniels testified that, after she and Trump had sex and she was going to leave his hotel suite, he said they are "fantastic together" and that she should be on his show.

Daniels describes having sexual encounter with Trump

Daniels said she laughed nervously when she came out of the bathroom and saw Trump on the bed in his underwear. She said she at first tried to make a joke and step around to leave.

She said she didn't feel physically threatened by him, although she knew there was a bodyguard right outside. She said there was a power imbalance but she wasn't threatened. She made a reference to their sexual position when they allegedly had sex and the defense raised an objection to that testimony, which the judge sustained.

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked whether Trump wore a condom and Daniels said no. Hoffinger asked if Daniels said anything about it – appearing to refer to not wearing a condom – and Daniels replied: "I didn't say anything at all."

Trump on bed in underwear after Daniels leaves bathroom: testimony

Daniels described at one point asking to use the restroom. She and Trump were drinking water, and she had consumed a lot of water, she said. He told her to go through the living room and bedroom and help herself to the facility.

Daniels said she looked at toiletry items in the bathroom and noticed Old Spice and manicure items that appeared to made of gold, such as gold tweezers.

When she came out of the bathroom, Trump was on the bed posing in underwear, as if waiting for her, she described. She said she thought in her head, "Oh my God," and asked herself what she had misread.

Judge tells prosecution to reduce amount of detail from Daniels

After asking Trump lawyer Todd Blanche if he had spoken with his client, Judge Merchan told prosecutor Susan Hoffinger that we don't need so much detail from Daniels. He referenced a description of detailing the floor, things like that. He instructed Hoffinger to move more quickly when Daniels comes back to the witness stand. He then asked for Daniels to be brought back in.

Judge appears to have given warning to Trump

After a short morning break, Judge Merchan said to Trump lawyer Todd Blanche: "Did you speak to your client?" Blanche replied that he had. It's unclear what that was about, and whether Merchan had complained about some aspect of Trump's behavior just before the break.

Trump said he might be able to get Daniels on The Apprentice: testimony

Daniels said Trump raised an idea that she should go on his show, The Apprentice. Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked if it was The Celebrity Apprentice and Daniels said she doesn't know, she assumes so, but it was some version of The Apprentice.

Trump said to Daniels that she reminded him of his daughter, who is smart and beautiful, Daniels described. He talked to her about public relations things with his show, saying Daniels would really shake things up. He said she could go on the show and prove she's not a dumb bimbo, that she's more than people think, according to her testimony.

She said she told him she was never going to be on his show, that even he didn't have that much power.

Daniels swatted Trump's bottom in hotel suite, she says

Daniels said at one point in his hotel suite she started complaining to Trump that he was being rude. She told him someone should spank him, and he gave her a look as if he was daring her to do it. She took an item from him, instructed him to turn around, and swatted his behind with it, she testified. They then continued to talk "and he was much more polite." They talked about his golf course in Scotland and about traveling, she said.

Trump said he and Melania didn't sleep in same room: testimony

Daniels described seeing a photo of Melania Trump when she was talking with Donald Trump in his hotel suite. She said to Trump: "She's very beautiful – What about your wife?" Trump told Daniels not to worry about that, that he and Melania Trump didn't sleep in the same room, according to Daniels' testimony.

'You do not have the head designed to be without hair'

Daniels described Trump telling her about a contest in which the loser would have to shave their head. "You do not have the head designed to be without hair," she says she responded. He agreed, according to her testimony. He said all that stuff was pre-determined in the script, he knew the outcome in advance, and that wouldn't happen to him.

Daniels told Trump she never tested positive for a sexually-transmitted disease: testimony

Daniels described Trump asking her if she had ever had a bad test, referring to a test for a sexually-transmitted disease. She told Trump "nope," she possessed every test she had ever done for the last "X" amount of years (Daniels used the letter "X" in her testimony), and never had a bad test, never tested positive "for anything."

Daniels also described from the witness stand having worked at a company that required condoms during work. She said that was a reason she worked there.

Outside of court, Daniels has previously described having sex with Trump on the evening she is continuing to describe inside the courtroom. In out-of-court statements, she has said the pair didn't use protection.

Trump asked about business of adult film industry, Daniels says

Daniels described talking with Trump about get-to-know-you things. She said he asked if she had a boyfriend and she said no, she didn't at the time.

She also said he asked questions she doesn't normally receive when people ask about her work in the adult film industry, including whether there was a union, whether there was testing for sexually-transmitted diseases, and how she got paid.

Trump came out wearing Hugh Hefner-like pajamas: testimony

Daniels said when she arrived at Trump's hotel suite, she said hello and he came out wearing silk or satin pajamas. She made a joke by asking if Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy magazine, knew Trump was wearing Hefner's pajamas. She told Trump to go change and he obliged politely, she said. He put on a dress shirt and dress pants.

Daniels describes meeting Trump at hotel suite for dinner

Daniels described meeting Trump at his hotel, which was different from hers, for dinner. She went up to his hotel suite, which was "very nice." The suite was three times the size of her apartment, she testified.

Daniels said Trump bodyguard approached about dinner

A Trump bodyguard named Keith approached Daniels at the July, 2006 golf tournament, saying Trump would like to know if she would like to have dinner with him, Daniels testified. She ultimately gave the bodyguard her phone number, she said. Daniels described receiving advice that day about going to the dinner, which could open up professional opportunities.

Jurors see photo of Daniels with Trump

Jurors were shown a photo of Stormy Daniels and Trump together. Trump was wearing a yellow polo shirt with what Daniels described as a golf logo. He was wearing a red cap.

Daniels identifies Trump, points at him in courtroom

In a question-and-answer that's typical in courtrooms between a lawyer and a witness, Daniels was asked whether she sees Trump in the courtroom and can identify him. She pointed at Trump at his defense table as she described him wearing a navy blue suit jacket.

Daniels testimony moving into meeting Trump in 2006

After describing various aspects of her life, including exploring running for office as a Republican at one point, Daniels has begun testifying about how she met Trump.

Daniels described working at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe in July of 2006 while she was under contract as an adult film director, writer, and actress. Daniels was 27 years old, she said. She didn't know Trump's age, but she knew he was probably as old or older than her father.

Stormy Daniels begins testifying

Adult film star Stormy Daniels has begun testifying. Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger is asking Daniels introductory questions. Daniels described growing up in Louisiana with a single mom after Daniels' parents split up when she was four years old.

Read Trump's gag order text

Franklin testimony concludes; stormy daniels expected next.

The prosecution and defense finished questioning publishing executive Sally Franklin. Lawyers are now speaking with the judge at his bench. Trump lawyer Susan Necheles indicated earlier that porn star Stormy Daniels is expected to be the second witness today.

Trump lawyer and prosecutor wrangle over ghostwriting

Prosecutor Rebecca Mangold ended her initial questioning of Franklin. Trump defense lawyer Todd Blanche had brief cross-examination for Franklin that focused on how Trump used a ghostwriter for books. A ghostwriter is someone hired to write a piece that is credited at least in part to another person.

Mangold then asked Franklin further questions designed to undermine the suggestion that Trump wasn't very involved in writing the books Franklin has been reading from today. Trump described in one excerpt working closely with a ghostwriter, whom he said "has heard everything." He also acknowledged many people who worked at the publisher in an acknowledgments section.

'I always sign my checks': Trump book excerpt

"I always sign my checks," Trump said in a book excerpt that was read aloud by Sally Franklin. Trump explained that signing his checks is how he knows where his money is going. He said there is human and now computer error everywhere.

Trump described not letting 50 cents go: Trump book excerpt

Publisher Sally Franklin read aloud a portion of a book in which Trump said a magazine ran an experiment once to see who was a cheap rich person by sending a check for 50 cents to a number of wealthy people. The Trump Organization deposited it, Trump said. He added that the magazine may call the organization cheap, but he called it watching the bottom line.

Trump told financial controller he was doing a 'lousy job' by not questioning invoices: Trump book

Trump said in a book that he once told Jeffrey McConney, the former financial controller at the Trump Organization, that McConney was doing a "lousy job" managing Trump's cash. That's according to a portion of the book read aloud by Sally Franklin in the courtroom.

Even though various payments need to be made, "always question invoices" and never accept a contractor's first bid, Trump said he told McConney, according to the book excerpt. McConney got the message and has been with Trump for a long time and is doing a terrific job, Trump added.

McConney testified yesterday that he is now retired from the Trump Organization.

Trump book advice: Ask to see all invoices

Sally Franklin read aloud a portion of a Trump book that advised the reader to make sure to ask to see all the invoices when working with a decorator. Trump added, according to the testimony, that decorators are generally honest, but you should be checking regardless.

Trump book: As it says in the Bible, 'an eye for an eye'

Sally Franklin read aloud a portion of a Trump book in which Trump described having said for many years that if someone screws you, screw them back. Like it says in the Bible, "an eye for an eye," Trump added, according to what Franklin read.

Random House publishing executive testifying on Trump books

The prosecution called Sally Franklin, who is a senior vice president and executive managing editor in publishing at Penguin Random House. She is reading portions of books by Trump, prompted by questions from prosecutor Rebecca Mangold.

Judge will allow Stormy Daniels to testify about alleged sex

Judge Merchan said he was satisfied about the representations prosecutor Susan Hoffinger made about the limits on what kind of testimony prosecutors will seek from Stormy Daniels about her alleged sexual encounter with Trump. 

Hoffinger then repeated to the judge that the desired details about the sex act will be "very brief." 

"That's fine," Merchan said. He added he agrees Daniels has credibility issues, and so it's important for the prosecution to establish her credibility by eliciting certain things around the alleged encounter. For that reason, he will allow the testimony.

Stormy Daniels testimony on sexual encounter important for credibility: Prosecutor

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger defended the importance of asking porn star Stormy Daniels for some description of her alleged sexual encounter with Donald Trump. Hoffinger agreed that really salacious details weren't necessary, but she said the general details, including the sex act, are significant to the story and "very important" to the prosecution in terms of establishing Daniels' credibility.

Hoffinger specifically described wanting to elicit testimony about how Daniels ended up allegedly having sex with Trump, including their alleged conversation in a hotel room. The full conversation, Hoffinger said, "is very, very important." In terms of the actual sexual act, the desired testimony would be "very basic," with no description of genitalia or anything of that nature, Hoffinger said. 

Hoffinger added it's important to elicit how Daniels and Trump had sex and how Daniels felt about it.

Trump defense lawyer Susan Necheles repeated her objection, saying there's just "no need' for those kinds of details. Necheles said there's a real question of Daniels' credibility. Necheles added this case is about books and records and the parties shouldn't be getting into how Daniels felt about the alleged encounter.

Who has already testified in Trump's criminal trial?

The prosecution wrapped questioning with its 11th witness on Monday afternoon. Here is a look back at who has already taken the stand:

• David Pecker , former CEO and president of AMI, the parent company of tabloid National Enquirer
• Rhona Graff, Trump's former executive assistant
• Gary Farro , Michael Cohen's former banker
• Robert Browning , an executive director at C-SPAN
• Phillip Thompson who works for a deposition company
• Keith Davidson , a lawyer who represented former Playboy model Karen McDougal and porn star Stormy Daniels
• Douglas Daus a computer forensic analyst for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.
• Georgia Longstreet, a paralegal with Manhattan District Attorney  Alvin Bragg's  office
• Hope Hicks , a former Trump aide who was the campaign press secretary in 2016
• Jeffrey McConney , the former controller at the Trump Organization
• Deborah Tarasoff , an accounts payable supervisor at the Trump Organization

Judge arrives in courtroom

Judge Juan Merchan just arrived at 9:28 a.m. EDT for the thirteenth day of this trial. As he does normally, he said a general "Good morning" to the lawyers and a specific "Good morning, Mr. Trump" to Donald Trump.

Trump contends reimbursement to Cohen was ‘legal expense’

Former President Donald Trump didn’t mention porn actress Stormy Daniels as he entered the courtroom Tuesday, but again defended his payments to his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, as legal expenses.

Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records for allegedly trying to hide his reimbursement to Cohen for a $130,000 to Daniels to remain quiet before the 2016 election. But Trump contends he was paying Cohen a legal fee rather than paying hush money to Daniels, to prevent her from claiming they once had sex while was married.

“We didn’t put it down as construction costs,” Trump said. “The legal expense that we paid was put down as legal expense. There’s nothing else you could say. You don’t have to put down anything, I guess.”

During his three-minute hallway statement to reporters, Trump asked his lawyer, Todd Blanche, whether that was the correct thing to do. Blanche nodded.

Trump team arrives in courtroom

Trump and his lawyers entered the courtroom at about 9:24 a.m. EDT. Eric Trump is here today, as he was yesterday. Alina Habba, who represented Trump in his two recent civil fraud and E. Jean Carroll trials and is a big personality defending Trump in media appearances, is also here today.

– Aysha Bagch i

Stormy Daniels to testify about payment at heart of Trump trial

After all the dreary testimony about ledgers and bookkeeping, Stormy Daniels is expected to testify Tuesday about the heart of Donald Trump’s hush money trial: a $130,000 payment to her to remain silent before the 2016 election.

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, claims she had sex with Trump in 2006 and that his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, arranged the payment to prevent her from spreading disparaging information about Trump in the closing days of the campaign.

Prosecutors contend the payment represented an unlawful campaign violation, as an in-kind contribution to influence the election.

But Trump denies they had sex and argues he was unaware of the payment by arguing his reimbursements to Cohen were for a legal retainer. Trump has also insulted Daniels' appearance, calling her  “Horseface” in a tweet .

Who is Stormy Daniels and what is her real name?

Stormy Daniels , born Stephanie Clifford, is an adult film star.

Daniels says she had an affair with Trump in 2006, months after Melania Trump gave birth to Barron Trump. Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen paid her $130,000 to stay quiet about the alleged affair ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

Trump's lawyers tried to block Daniels from being called to the witness stand, but New York  Judge Juan Merchan ruled  that  Daniels can testify  because her allegations are "inextricably intertwined" with the criminal allegations.

- Kinsey Crowley , Bart Jansen

Prosecutors arrive in the courtroom

The prosecution arrived in the courtroom at about 9:13 a.m. EDT. We are still waiting on the Trump team, the judge, and the jury.

Why Stormy Daniels' testimony could get under Trump's skin

Porn star Stormy Daniels' story is both salacious and embarrassing for the former president. Daniels alleges she and Trump had sex in 2006, at a time when Trump was dangling the possibility of having her on one of his "The Apprentice" brand shows. Their alleged encounter, which Trump denies, would have happened within months of Melania Trump giving birth to Barron Trump.

That's not just an embarrassing story to be heard around the world. It could also be embarrassing when Trump is thinking about his family.

Former top Trump aide Hope Hicks testified last week that, after The Wall Street Journal reported on a hush money deal involving former Playboy model Karen McDougal, Trump wanted to ensure newspapers weren't delivered to his and Melania Trump's residence the day the article ran.

What have we heard about Stormy Daniels so far in trial?

Multiple witnesses have testified to aspects of the alleged $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels less than two weeks before the 2016 presidential election to keep her quiet about an alleged affair with Trump. Daniels' former lawyer, Keith Davidson, said he believed Daniels was going to go public after the Trump team initially failed to pay the agreed-upon settlement.

Whether the Daniels and Trump actually had sex – which Trump denies – is beside the point in the prosecution's case. Prosecutors allege Trump falsified business records tied to the hush money Daniels was paid in order to conceal or commit another crime. Having an affair isn't a crime.

Still, Trump lawyer Todd Blanche made a big point of denying Daniels' allegation in his opening statement in the trial. He told jurors that paying Daniels to not spread "false – false – claims" about Trump isn't a crime, repeating and emphasizing "false." 

Earlier in the trial, Trump's former executive assistant Rhona Graff testified to seeing Daniels in the reception area of a Trump building for an appointment. Graff also said she created a contact information entry on Daniels for Trump, and recalled some discussion about potentially casting Daniels on one of "The Apprentice" brand shows.

Stormy Daniels likely to testify Tuesday: reports

Porn star Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, is likely to take the witness stand Tuesday, multiple outlets reported.

Clark Brewster, a lawyer for Daniels, told the Associated Press she is "likely" to be called to testify. The New York Times reported shortly after 8:30 a.m. she has arrived at the courthouse .

Trump complained on Truth Social Tuesday morning, saying he was recently told who today's witness is and it gave "no time for lawyers to prepare." The post has since been deleted. 

Why did Merchan issue a gag order?

Judge Juan Merchan gagged Trump based on what the judge described as a history of "inflammatory" statements about people tied to Trump's legal cases.

In one post prosecutors noted in their request for a gag order, Trump shared photo to his millions of Truth Social followers in which he was holding a baseball bat to the back of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's head.

Merchan wrote that Trump's past statements made people tied to his cases fearful and increased security needs .

What did prosecutors try to prove Monday?

Prosecutors introduced testimony on checks to Michael Cohen in 2017 that were allegedly falsified in order to conceal a reimbursement for an unlawful hush money payment ahead of the 2016 election. The checks form a portion of the 34 counts Trump faces of falsifying business records.

While the checks were actually mostly reimbursing hush money, they were labeled as monthly payments for legal expenses totaling $420,000 across 2017, according to prosecutors. A lawyer for Trump denied that claim at the start of the trial.

Many of the checks were cut from Donald Trump's personal bank account and therefore required his signature, according to Deborah Tarasoff, who is the Trump Organization's accounts payable supervisor. She testified yesterday that she recognized Trump's signature on those checks.

Why was Michael Cohen paid $420,000?

The series of checks Cohen received in 2017 – which were labeled as legal expense payments – totaled $420,000. Why was Cohen paid that amount? According to Cohen's Feb. 2019 testimony to Congress, the $420,000 included:

• A $180,000 reimbursement for the $130,000 hush money he paid to to Stormy Daniels and for $50,000 he claimed he was owed for campaign-related "tech services";
• Another $180,000 based on the idea that he would pay 50% taxes on the reimbursement money, and should still be left with the full $180,000; and
• A $60,000 bonus.

Trump's defense team seems poised to tell a different story. Trump lawyer Todd Blanche said during opening statements that a series of payments from Trump to Cohen weren't payback for Cohen paying porn star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump. Trump denies Daniels' claim.