Your leadership qualities might be of interest when you are doing a university application or a job application, or it might be your college assignment. Whatever it is, one aspect is changeless: it involves a lot of research on leadership and defining the concept for yourself. It is essential that you are able to reflect your personal understanding of leadership supported by real-life examples or historical evidence.
Start With Definitions
If you are wondering how to start an essay on leadership, you should answer two simple questions:
- What is the concept of leadership, in my opinion?
- What do I consider good leadership qualities?
Leadership is the ability to guide people towards a goal or after an idea. It is impossible to influence others without possessing certain qualities that are crucial for a leader.
First of all, mention confidence. A person would never make a good leader if he has insufficient self-confidence. It is his or her confident decisions and actions that must make others want to follow. People do not go after hesitators. They need their leader to be sure enough to persuade and lead them.
A leader never quits. He/she inspires and motivates others. Followers can always look at their leaders and regain hope in their role models. It is quite a difficult task, but it must be worth it.
Obviously, a leader has to be honest and reliable. Trust is that glue that binds the followers to their leader. Lost trust can not be restored.
It is crucial for a leader to be articulate. Clear, persuasive, and timely messages constitute half of the success. Consistent communication would increase work efficiency and decrease the likelihood of potential mistakes.
You could also add such qualities as:
- passionate about his/her beliefs,
Most importantly, a leader must be empathetic. Only a leader who feels strongly about people’s grievances, who knows them, and demonstrates the will to act towards a positive change in their lives can truly win followers’ hearts.
Find Your Own Perspective
It is time for research on leadership concepts, theories, and historical figures. However, no matter how much research you have done, in a good leadership essay, what counts is your original thinking. The data you collect and analyze should only help you shape up your perspective, which then should be well-expressed in your piece of online assignment writing.
To help you identify your angle, you should try asking yourself the following questions:
- What are the key personality traits defining good leaders?
- Do you think a person is born with the qualities that make him or her a good leader, or do you think they are shaped during their lifetime?
- Who are your role models among historical personas?
- What about people around you who you would confidently call a great leader?
- What are the skills that would help you become a leader?
How to Structure Your Essay on Leadership?
A high-scoring academic piece needs a good plan. Think about the right order for your thoughts and find ways to make them flow out of one another smoothly. Come up with a few critical statements that would come unraveled in the course of your speculations.
Basically, a good outline would just structure your ideas into a line and make it more convincing for the reader.
#1 Impressive Introduction
A good essay on leadership, like every explanatory essay, must catch the reader’s attention immediately. An introduction should briefly paint a picture of your primary findings, provide a few references, and acquaint them with the topic of your choice and the reasons behind it.
However, you should refrain from laying your cards on the table in the introduction. To make it catchy and motivate the reader to go on excitedly, you can use personal leadership experiences. There is something about personal stories that captivate the reader’s attention and lead him through the whole thing. You can use humor here, as laughter stimulates reading on with excitement and empathy. Or you can use a quote by an important figure known for their prominent leadership experience. Or you can ask yourself or the reader a question, the answer to which can be found in your further essay on the importance of leadership.
#2 Detailed Body
In the perfect scenario, the body would have three to four paragraphs, each of which would introduce, develop, and support a unique idea and angle on being a leader. You should keep the original overarching topic in mind and use each sentence in favor of it. Ensure that the order of your statements is logical, and the whole sequence makes sense to a reader.
Intersperse your work with the data you found to support your ideas and to demonstrate that you have done profound research and are well-informed.
#3 Interesting Conclusion
In the final part of your essay, it is crucial to stay clear of new ideas and statements. Whatever you had to tell, you should have said them in the body part. The correct conclusion would quickly sum up the story, reiterate your central statement, and answer all the questions you posed throughout your essay. Some essays leave questions open, but it must be made virtuously. Otherwise, the readers would feel frustrated, not finding what they were expecting.
The conclusion should be the sweet berry on the cake you served in your whole piece of work. If it is not sweet enough, it might spoil the entire impression and leave your guest with wrong after taste. So pay a lot of attention to your conclusion and make good use of your final act on stage to get good applause.
Some Useful Essay Hints From Pro Writers
- Don’t be afraid to experiment. Think outside the box. Be brave with your topic and angle. Standing out pays off.
- Learn from others. Don’t refrain from reading some leadership essay samples. Just don’t copy them, get inspired with the best.
- Make your voice stronger by keeping verbs active. Avoid using passives in academic papers. They are not appreciated.
- Don’t forget about formatting and styling requirements. It is important, too.
- A third-party opinion could be useful. Get a peer review of your writing if you have a chance.
- Less is more. Don’t try to replace quality with quantity. Short and sweet always wins long and confusing.
- Devil is in the detail. Don’t forget to proofread and re-read your essay a few times. Online tools like Grammarly or Besteditproof might be of great help.
Your way with the essay might also be a way to express your leadership qualities. 90% of your essay’s success depends on your content. However, you can’t ignore small things like proofreading, styling, and optimization. Those are the elements that would help you win some extra points with a little more effort.
Good luck with your winning leadership essay!