The Leadership Case: Student Perspective on the Value of Leadership Skills

Abstract

Contrary to the simple heading, defining leadership is a complex task. It is easy for us to recognize leaders, but prescribing the skill set needed to be a leader can be more challenging. The difficulty in defining leadership is inherent in the nature of the role itself. We perceive leadership to be an elite skill, yet anyone with enough motivation can become a leader. Leadership is a learning process that is ever developing. It is not a singular event, nor is there a sole list of skills that one must possess to acquire the title of ‘leader.’ There are numerous leaders in our world, each working toward different goals with different people. The challenge in both defining and realizing leadership comes in recognizing the many leadership opportunities that already exist in our day-to-day lives, and being willing to constantly grow, acquire new skills, and adapt our behaviors to appropriately match each new leadership situation we encounter.