Being a leader follows a different approach than a boss or any other authority figure. It's when one guides others through inspiration and motivation sometimes toward a common goal, or to make decisions necessary for personal growth. Leaders can come in any form, through any situation, or in any setting. I, myself, have worn several different leadership hats throughout my life: mentor, president, and manager, to name a few. In these settings, I have helped others follow their own path and even learned more about myself along the way.

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What I found to be the most challenging thing about leadership is not allowing your emotions and personal wants to get in the way of the objective at hand. In these cases, I kept the following proverb in mind: "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink". As a leader, I had to teach myself the difference between telling someone what to do and giving someone the necessary tools to make successful decisions on their own. There have been many times when I can see the potential in someone and really want them to do XYZ but that is not what they want. I've had to stop saying "Do this" or "Do that" and start asking "What do you want to do" or "How can I help you accomplish XYZ".

 

One thing I've learned, especially as a leader, is being comfortable with saying "I don't know". I think a lot of times people give those 3 words a negative connotation. Once you say that, they start to question your intellect. But being a leader has nothing to do with being smart. What is being smart anyways? Some of the smartest people I know don't know how to guide others or lead by example, while some that are "less smart" are really good at leading. I won't lie, there were times when students would approach me with questions I didn't know how to answer. It was difficult for me to admit that I didn't have the answer they were looking for, but over time I've come to embrace the phrase "I don't know". It opened room for me to learn more and even show others that we all don't have it together sometimes but we're all working on getting there.

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Despite the challenges that may arise, the most rewarding aspect of being a leader is understanding the type of leadership qualities I value and understanding the most productive form of leadership for me. I identify as a servant leader. In my roles, I make sure to focus my attention on the mission and learn how to help others. In the future, I anticipate becoming a physician. A career in medicine requires a great deal of servant leadership while leading a healthcare team and treating patients. Practicing this role early on has allowed me to fine-tune my approach as a servant leader to hopefully become the best version I can be in the future.