Young
people are often faced with questions about their leadership
capacity. Whether
it is college
application essays, challenges from coaches and parents, or the opinion
of
society at large, teenagers are regularly encouraged to “step up” and
provide
leadership that they may not be fully prepared for.
The
problem may be that we are not fully aware of the qualities of true
leadership. We
certainly know what it is
not: constant whining about events that did not go our way; pointless
complaints
about rules we don’t like; adopting a helpless/hopeless attitude toward
the big
problems of the world. One
cultural
paradigm depicts it as grabbing the flag and racing to the mountain top
shouting, “Follow me!” at the top of our lungs.
But we know that is not necessarily leadership either, if
the charge has
no sensible purpose.
We are
frequently submerged under examples of poor leadership.
When professional athletes taunt their
opponents or skirt the rules of their game in order to gain an
advantage, we
see not leadership but self-serving behavior.
When politicians appeal to our prejudices or baser
instincts in order to
gain our support, we see not leadership but self-serving behavior. When numerous adults in
responsible positions
refuse to accept responsibility and instead engage in the sort of
childish
behavior described above, we should not wonder that young people
struggle to
fully understand what is expected of them.
Leadership
is action with a purpose, but it is also sometimes acceptance of that
which we
cannot (or should not) change. It
includes the ability to see what is, determine what could be, and help
move
events in a positive direction for the future.
It’s a delicate balance that requires great circumspection. When is the right time to
take aggressive
action to achieve an important goal?
When is the right time to encourage others to provide
their special
talents? When
should we take a
diplomatic approach? When
should we
volunteer to take the lead, and when should we step aside? The possibilities seem
endless, and the
proper path may not always be obvious.
The
reality is that all kinds of leaders are needed, so your special
qualities are
in demand somewhere.
Opportunities
for leadership are
ever-present in our society. Virtually
every day, every person has some chance to demonstrate their capacity
for
leadership. Certain
situations may be
inconvenient to us, but that does not mean that those situations should
be
avoided. The key is
to be willing to
take the proper action when the time calls for it.
Even teens have major opportunities.
Every day in class, you can be the leader who
contributes to activities with your personal insights and special
talents. Many of
you participate in extracurricular
sports, where your leadership, both active and supportive, is essential
to the
success of the team. Some
of you have
jobs, where your leadership can improve a customer’s experience or help
the
business operate more efficiently.
Being
a teenager is no excuse for not providing the leadership of which you
are
capable.