Question:
Chevening is looking for individuals that will be future leaders or influencers in their home countries. Explain how you meet this requirement, using clear examples of your own leadership and influencing skills to support your answer.
(minimum word count: 50 words, maximum word count: 500 words)
Answer:
According to John C. Maxwell, a leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.
A person is either born a leader or develops skills and abilities to become a leader, I was old enough to capture my mother's words, she always used to narrate to me the wisdom words of our prophet Mohammed PPUH saying, All of you are guardians and are responsible for your wards, the ruler is a guardian and responsible for his subjects; the man is a guardian and responsible for his family; the women is a guardian and is responsible for her husband's house and his offspring; and so all of you are guardians and are responsible for your wards. And she was always telling me that a true leader equips with 3 main qualities; trustworthiness, passion and confidence; and If I want to be a one, not just a one, but the best.
I started being a leader from a very young age, where I used to be the eldest sister and lead my younger siblings, and through my life I learned much, with a lot of consequent trials, errors and humility; I have learned the difference between a leader and a manager, and that every leader could be a manager, but every manager can't be a leader.
Leadership is not just a title or a position but an action, a leader will always be a leader in every position he/she holds, John Quincy Adams once said If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.
In practicing to be a leader, one has to start in the humble leadership position. Throughout my University and high school, I have been blessed with opportunities of being the group leader of various student clubs.
With a high passion of leadership attributes, I came to start my first internship program at my early sophomore year in university, where I worked as a bank teller at one of the largest bank in our country and I have gained and utilized a lot of influencing skills, through my 6 months career at Dahabshiil bank I became one of the best bank tellers in the bank and I have been awarded for my dedication and customer influence.
Right after I finished my internship period, Islamic Relief appointed me as a finance officer for their operations and thanks to God I succeeded to suitcase my leadership skills after a lot of mistakes and failures, I came to overcome with mutual sharing and decision making with my fellow workers.
I have always had a dream and I believe Chevening scholarship will make my dream come true, and enhance me to be ready to lead and influence to society I live in.
Hi Younguure, your command of English is very good and your writing is clear. But it seems like this essay could be a lot more detailed. You talk a lot about your thoughts on leadership and give various quotations, but you don't really tie those to your own personal experiences and situations. For instance, you talk about how a woman's primary responsibility should be to manage her husband's household and to lead his offspring, but you don't say how that applies to your personal situation. And then you talk about the three qualities a leader should have, but you don't really give any evidence of whether you have those three qualities. And it would be better to give specific details that show how you acted as a leader in your clubs and at your bank. Just because you are president of a club does not necessarily mean you are a good leader - more evidence would be better.
