Undergraduate / Purdue Essay - "Superwoman" [3]

This is the essay I plan to submit to Purdue University. Here's the prompt: "What are the qualities of a good leader? Use examples from your personal experiences to illustrate your particular leadership style."

Leadership is the ability to multitask - to effectively take on a myriad of distinct personas and use each to accomplish a goal. Taking on a leadership role means being an authority figure, a diplomat, a teacher, a student, a coach and superwoman all at once. A leader understands her team, role, power and most of all, herself.

As editor-in-chief of my high school newspaper, I march into school every day to manage an 80-person staff, leaving my problems and any negative attitude at the door. Knowing how to separate personal issues from business is vital for any leader. If I walk into the newspaper room unmotivated and preoccupied, the staff will feel the same way. Attitudes become contagious when working as a team, and proficient leaders can put aside individual predicaments for the betterment of everyone. Even though I hold a leadership position, I cannot put out a paper by myself. As a leader, I have to work harder and love what I do more so than anyone else on staff.

I walk a thin line between being a friend and a voice of authority to my peers on a daily basis. The best leaders know that mastering the former balancing act takes years of practice and fine-tuning. Working in a field that deals with deadlines and criticism on a daily basis, I have to teach, coach and learn in every situation. Dealing out criticism is often harder than accepting it. While perfection is unattainable, there is always room for improvement. Superior leaders recognize the opportunity for improvement and learn with every mistake or mishap. In these instances I am not only a teacher, but also a student and a coach, learning more about my peers and myself.

Managing an award-winning high school newspaper with a circulation of over 4,500 requires me to be organized, innovative, patient and flexible. Organization is necessary to manage all aspects of the paper, including every staff member. Innovation allows me to keep things fresh, facing new problems with creativity and good spirits. Handling deadlines, mishaps and minute details requires patience. A lot of it. In the end, something can always go wrong. Nothing is set in stone, and flexibility helps leave room for error even with deadlines lurking in the very near future.

Every leader must face each day with an open mind and a renewed passion for her work. I have to juggle between being the bad guy, a therapist, a problem-solver and superwoman. Efficient leaders know when to use and how to balance each aspect. Knowing and accepting this, I strive to personify Vince Lombardi's quote, "If you chase perfection, you will catch excellence." After all, I am superwoman.