Scholarship / A leader. A simple word that holds a power on its own. Leadership - Chevening 2017/2018 [4]

Hi, I need help proofreading my essay for Chevening 2017/2018 scholarship application. I know I am late so I need help urgently. Thank you in advance to the ones who help! :')

LEADERSHIP & INFLUENCE QUESTION

A leader. A simple word that holds a power on its own, covering a wide spectrum of meaning perceived differently by each one. The consensus of being a leader boils down to being someone who is looked up to, depended on for guidance and influential in other people's lives. Human beings are born with innate talent to being a leader, but the skill is nurtured only with life experiences and lessons. This skill manifests in various forms and differs with each person although the core principle remains the same. A leader takes the initiative to lead the team.

I find the human minds interesting as it can generate a variety of ideas and concepts, wholly different and diverse between one and another. The focus of my leadership lies in listening to these unheard thoughts, confined within the caskets of their own mind. A leader could not act and guide his team while being blind to the needs of the followers, nor can he lead while being completely dependent on his team's thoughts. What a leader need is a balance between listening and taking it into account when making a decision.

As an engineer, a single mistake in the steps could prove to be fatal in the final design that could cause a collapse in the structure and devastation of surrounding environment in the long run. Care must be taken in every step of the study processes. When one of the projects met a dead end on the study approach, I led the team by first gathering the members involved and proceeded to listen to their previously used methodologies from each of them. I considered the methods and the reasons of failure and found a loophole in their approaches and proceeded to guide them accordingly. The ease of my leading and the respectful manner I practiced had earned their trust and respect. This is evident by the way they readily look up to me for advices and guidance despite me not being part of the team for the projects, and the way they agree to my initiatives for leading a new project.

I hone my leadership skills by participating in the company's event organizing club and was selected as one of the high committees. Leading my own team for organizing events, we have managed to complete our tasks earlier than expected, while maintaining the quality of our work. The participants have expressed their satisfaction in our events, particularly in the aspects that I have been leading such as the receptions and handling of participants.

I believe that being a leader is not being a perfect and flawless being. A leader makes mistakes, learn from it and lead others whilst inspiring them. A leader can only lead when others accept him as the leader, and that requires respect and trust. Listen, understand, act and inspire others. That is my way of leading, as quoted by Woodrow Wilson, "The ear of the leader must ring with the voices of the people."

Scholarship / "The currency of real networking is not greed but generosity" - Networking; Chevening Scholarships [2]

Hi, I am new to this forum and I need help proofreading my essay for Chevening 2017/2018 scholarship application. I know I am late so I need help urgently. Thank you in advance to the ones who help! :')

NETWORKING QUESTION
Chevening is looking for individuals with strong networking skills, who will ...
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"A simple 'Hello' could lead to a million things." This stands true for me, as it has impacted my life in more ways than one, both personally and professionally as I strive to meet new people and connect.

Right after the end of my undergraduate studies, job opportunities that interests me were rather scarce. The jobs offered in the newspapers and websites were rather redundant and involved a routine of steps that sounded mundane and tedious to me. I wanted something challenging and unpredictable, something that is dynamic and ever changing with varying conditions and deals with natural environment. That was when a simple text to my lecturer whom I have been keeping in touch with revealed an opportunity and landed me my first and current job; a Coastal Engineer.

In my recent years working as an engineer under the tutelage of my supervisors, I have encountered situations that strengthens my belief in the latent possibilities hidden behind the right kind of networking. Job opportunities, troves of new knowledge and endless chances that aids me towards the goal I'm aiming for; I have learned that networking offers me opportunities and can help me to boost my potential in achieving higher levels of success in my life. I actively partake in seminars and events to increase my chances of meeting new people and build my network circles with the relevant parties and authorities in various fields whilst also maintaining contacts with my friends that are spread over a wide range of professions.

Hundreds of opportunities and chances simmer beneath them, waiting for the right time to emerge into my life. These opportunities come in various forms; job openings, a chance of meeting new people through friends, or even as simple as a message of shared information regarding an exhibition fair of postgraduate studies from my acquaintance that kindles a fire in me to further my studies and brought me to where I am today, applying for Chevening Scholarship for my Postgraduate studies.

There is never a loss in getting to know people, or learning from them, their views and differing experiences help to give me insights on the possibilities offered in life. "Learn from your past experiences and keep moving forward," this quote does not solely represent an individual as it can also be used to convey the importance of shared experiences conceived from other people I've met and connected with. Their experiences in their lives and wisdom are a valuable gold mine full of things I have yet to experience, and can contribute in my development as an individual and advancing in my chosen profession. That is one of my future goals as a Chevening awardee, to actively share the wealth of my experiences and my expectations for the future to a community that needs it. As a quote by Keith Ferrazzi goes, "The currency of real networking is not greed but generosity," and I will be more than generous to share my experiences.