Thoughts on Leadership

I guess I never took the time to really think about what leadership meant, or how important it is until I read Richard Greenwald’s article. Greenwald discusses how leadership programs are becoming more popular in colleges and universities all over the country and how now more than ever people need to prepare themselves for the tough times ahead. Personally I’ve never given much thought to the importance of leadership. True, without leaders there would be no order and everyone would be walking around with their heads stuck in the sand. But I’ve never given thought to classes being taught about leadership and how important it is to have the skills of a leader in order to be successful overall.

Leadership can be determined and thought of in many different ways; I really liked what Madeleine said about cultural differences on leadership, how leaders aren’t always deemed as good people. A lot of today’s leaders in our minds are immoral and corrupt, but they are still labeled as leaders because of the position and power they hold. I think everyone deserves the chance to become their own leader. Greenwald says “not everyone can become a leader” which is true. But everyone should be given the option and opportunity to find out. Some people are natural born leaders, others need the right training, hands on experience and support of their peers to feel like a leader.

I’ve never heard of the term “micropreneurial age” but I feel like this perfectly describes the way our generation is today: people today will have several jobs and possibly even multiple careers. The first thing that came to mind when I read that was a couple weeks prior I was in Orlando Florida, Disney World eating at a restaurant. Our waiter was very friendly and he mentioned how he went to UPitt, studying business and finance and how he used to work in New York on Wall Street. But because of the struggling economy, he was unfortunately laid off. This just proves how important it is to prepare as much as we can for what's out there, how we choose to spend the next four years is up to us. Personally I want to take advantage of every opportunity that could help me grow as an artist and as a person.

When people step out into the real world, we don’t know where you’ll end up. Especially as artists, we have to learn how to be flexible in the job market. It’s all about knowing what’s in demand and being able to adapt. If colleges offer leadership programs, it’s obviously not for everyone, but if you do have the opportunity to come across something that could not only better your chances of getting a job but also help you creatively, socially, and economically I say go for it. There is nothing wrong with being too prepared for what life throws at you, and I believe leadership skills are an important way to not only better yourself, but one day be able to help others.