Is it advantageous to be a Leader in University?
“Managers do the things right, but leaders do the right things,” said Warren G. Bennis, the pioneer of the first contemporary leadership studies. The main thing that differs leaders from managers and other staff is that leaders choose the right course of action, and others follow them. Leadership is a skill rarely found in the majority of people. According to Inspire, a global software company, 77% of companies worldwide struggle with closing a leadership gap.
Being a leader is extremely beneficial both for developing your personal skills and achieving future prosperity. And the best part is that leaders are not born but raised.
In this article, we will discuss the main advantages of being a leader during your university years.
Make the most of your school years
The majority of companies worldwide begin investing in leaders when they are still kids. They organize cultural exchange programs, offer prestigious scholarships, and conduct all kinds of training for them. The idea behind is pretty simple — they want to make them more loyal to their company and get them to join it one day.
Being a leader, you can apply for several programs and study any subject you like for free. For example, you can study at a high school in the US for a year by joining the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program. Another good way of cultivating leaders is internships that companies frequently offer to the most promising students at the end of their studies.
Realize your potential
It is a shame that most people cannot realize their enormous potential. They constantly need some appreciation for their actions. Unlike them, leaders can implement even the most unusual ideas thanks to the decisions they make and the actions they take.
Being a young leader, you can get your classmates to participate in different activities. For example, you can organize a football team or take part in an international competition.
Increase your self-confidence
Being able to boost your confidence is another benefit of being a leader. When you start to lead people, you take responsibility for their actions. Knowing that you can guide others makes you feel more confident in your abilities.
By leading a group of people, you rely less on other people’s opinion. That is one of the most negative stereotypes that can adversely influence one’s productivity. If you lead people, you have their support because they are positive that you do the right thing.
Learn to mediate
Being an effective leader requires you to communicate with your colleagues and distribute tasks and roles between them. However, leadership also implies being a skilled conflict facilitator and mediator.
You can learn how to take into account other people’s wishes and find a mutually acceptable solution. This skill is essential for your future employment, too.
Work in a team
If you have never worked in a team before, leading a group of people should be really exciting for you. It takes having organizational, facilitation, and decision-making skills. The position of a leader also provides you with an opportunity to improve the said skills and include them in your resume to make it look more impressive.
You will also learn to organize people on your team. But, it all depends on their functional, emotional, and social roles. For example, you will know better who needs to be controlled and who can be given more freedom.
Plan your activities
Leaders have a lot of responsibilities, which is why they require exceptional time management skills. Being one, you will learn how to manage your time effectively and how to set priorities for all your tasks.
The most important thing is that you’ll get to delegate tasks instead of doing them on your own. For example, you can have your classmate invite special guests to a student party. You can also save time by looking for a specialized website that writes papers for you. In this case, you spend less time on insignificant issues and focus more on important activities.
Enjoy free events
Do you know who organizes parties for university students? Leaders do. They coordinate all the events in university, such as orientation weeks, language courses, cultural exchanges, and many others.
And the best part is that you get to participate in all those events for free. Food, games, and prizes — you can get all of that without paying a penny. You are usually invited to such events, and you won’t have to write any motivation letters.
