The quality of a leader. How to write a good leadership essay for Chevening scholarship

Instruction:
Chevening is looking for individuals who 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.

to improve leadership qualities

I believe that someone who has the quality of a leader is someone who are able to stay true to their conscience, even when it is not the popular opinion, and someone who can always sound and elaborate their idea with clarity, especially in a situation where the idea proposed is not a popular one. I believe that I have these qualities, and I will elaborate how, buy having these qualities, I can become a future leader and influencer in my line of work, which are forest conservation and development.

I have been able to apply my leadership and influencing skills in the work that I have been doing at Tanah Air Beta. Tanah Air Beta (TAB) is an organization, where many practitioners and researchers from different countries and different discipline dedicate themselves to improving local forest governance in Indonesia. For the most recent visit to Maluku with TAB, I was chosen to be the leader of the field visit. Prior to this, I promoted the idea of prioritizing the establishment of a mutual relationship with local communities by engaging in the community's daily activities, which at the time, was different to the pre-determined priority of the field visit. However, I still decided to sound my opinion based on my prior experience of doing research in remote villages. Fortunately, everyone agreed to this idea - prioritizing the field visit to build a mutual relationship - which causes the tone and priority of the field visit to be changed. This can be used as an example of how I can always relate to my prior experience and knowledge to influence and lead others to act in accordance to what I believe to be right, and, the approval of other researchers and practitioners have somehow indicated that my judgment was not misinformed.

In addition to being able to stay true to their conscience, prior knowledge, and prior experience, a leader must also be able to elaborate ideas in any situation with clarity. I can give an indication of having this quality by showing how I have conducted myself in the past while I am explaining my ideas, even in unfavorable circumstances. During this one presentation where I was responsible in communicating our findings, a government official mentioned to the whole crowd how our way of gathering data and our activity is only meant for provoking conflict within the community. Then, after listening to what he has to say, I showed all the studies and all the previous research that we used as a basis for our research methodology, then, I simplify the explanation to make it more relatable to the crowd. Fortunately, the government official who previously accused us as being a provoker of conflict, ended up agreeing to our methodology and ways of promoting improvement.

In conclusion, I realize that, at the time being, there are still things I need to improve. However, I believe that someday I will be someone whose leadership position is a by-product consequence of my leadership qualities.

Thank you beforhand for the feedback

I think your should demonstrate your example through STAR model (Situation - Task - Action - Result), it will make your essay stand out.
Additionally, the concluding paragraph should be modified with some key learning points.

@emil1412
Your second example is irrelevant, it doesn't tell anything about your leadership or influencing skills. You managed to convince the government official because you showed him/her the facts (previous studies and research). I would suggest you remove this one and use a better example.

I think you can improve your introduction and your conclusion, try to focus on your leadership skills and highlight your achievements.
Your conclusion doesn't represent your future leadership impacts that Chevening experience will lead to.

Hope that helps.

Emilio, you have not properly justified your claims that you are a current leader and influencer in your line of work, or within the organization you participate in. You said it yourself; "I can become a future leader and influencer in my line of work". Chevening is not looking for non-leaders who can become future leaders. Chevening is looking for current leaders who can become even stronger leaders and notable influencers within their line of work or volunteer community. That line in this essay alone tells the reviewer a lot about your leadership experience that can disqualify you immediately from consideration.

Aside from that problematic reference in your essay, there is no real leadership or influencing skill displayed in the presentation. You lack examples. You do not acquit yourself as a leader and influencer in any of the presentations. That is why this essay is not useful to your application. You need to present strong leadership and influencing examples in your presentation. Unfortunately, this essay tells me that you are lacking in that aspect. Try to write a new essay and we can see if my opinion of your qualifications will change.