This was the essay I submitted with my application for the leadership course my company is offering. I should know by tomorrow if I make it to phase three; the interview phase.

Leadership is defined as the action of leading a group of people or an organization. The
connotation of leadership for me, however, goes much deeper. Leadership is about seeing the potential within people around you and cultivating that potential. This notion stems from my firsthand experiences with phenomenal leaders, such as my mother, my Course Director at Full Sail University, and my current Facility Administrator. These experiences also fuel my passion regarding the concept of leadership.

I view my mother as a leader only with the hindsight of her death. My parents divorced when I was extremely young. Not only did she contend with the discord of the divorce while raising two unruly children alone, she did so while also attending school full-time to become an RN. I learned to keep my grades up and to behave properly otherwise there would be consequences. As I grew, my goals changed. My mother’s goal, however, remained to raise me into a respectful and honorable person and she found ways of helping me achieve my own goals while also accomplishing hers. Sometimes leadership requires making hard choices and skillfully guiding others towards a bigger picture; one they may not fully understand at the time.

At Full Sail University not only was I a student, I also became an instructor and worked closely with one of my former professors. While attending classes, my instructor helped me overcome feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy as I began my journey into the extremely competitive industry of Computer Animation. Without my instructor’s support and encouragement, my fear of failure would have kept me from choosing the ambitious projects I did. As I began my career as an industry professional, he guided me through the feelings of anxiety in regards to leading lectures, posting my work online, and heading freelance projects. In this instance, leadership was about helping me overcome internal struggles and intangible challenges which would have held me back and prevented me from being as successful as I was.

After my mother’s death, I left my role as an instructor to begin a new career in the medical field. With nearly two years as a PCT behind me, my focus is towards the future, and as such, much of the support I receive from my current Facility Administrator is also future-oriented. She is extremely encouraging in my goal to return to school to become an RN. She facilitated my participation in Academy which has provided the opportunity for me to become a preceptor myself as well as allowing me to complete the DSS Leadership application. We have had conversations of additional roles within the company I could consider once I become an RN, such as clinical coordinator. Here, leadership is about inspiring others and exposing people to ideas they may not have been aware of or reached for on their own.

I care very deeply about my connotation of leadership; this notion of building people up and helping someone be the best they can be. Leadership entails more than simply leading. Leadership encompasses guidance, support, and empathy as well. Leadership can, and does, fundamentally change lives. How could I not be passionate about leadership when it has had, and continues to have, such a drastic impact on who I am as a person?