I have never been scared of stepping up to take the lead, nor have I been scared to fail in these endeavors. Failure humbles me and reminds me that there are many different ways to try to achieve success the next time we reconvene. Failure grounds me, and reminds me that I can still be proud of my team's effort regardless of the outcome.

What I was scared of though, was taking on too much at one time. Taking on so much, that I was never a follower or able to learn from other leaders. Taking on so much, that other areas I was proud of, such as academic success, would begin to decline. But because my heart begged me to be part of things bigger than myself, I slowly eased myself into multiple leadership roles during high school and college, once I realized I had the skills to be successful in each endeavor. I found that I could be a leader, while still learning from other leaders around me, and the ones working right beside me.

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My involvement helped me to learn the importance of a team. How a leader cannot be successful without their counterparts or eager followers. How a leader should never be looked at as a superior to be feared, but as a teammate ready to fight for the same cause. I learned that even as a leader that maybe did take on too much, you should be able to transfer the weight between others flawlessly, and pick it right back up when you're able. 

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I grew as a leader, because I got to experience the many different roles that a leader can take. I never started at the top, I worked my way there when I had gathered the appropriate skills to do so. I honed in on the craft by taking any opportunity I could to learn. For example, I was part of a smaller group of students that took an elective course titled "Career Leadership Academy" at the University of Iowa. It was there that I learned more about myself and how to be a leader in a room full of leaders. I learned an immense amount about my own specific leadership style, and how many different styles actually exist. The underlying theme of the course was about how leadership projects will never be about the sale or success; but instead, it will always be measured by how your cause made others feel. It's about inspiring those around you to become leaders themselves. 

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I am the leader I am today because of those that came before me, and those that are developing under me. Most importantly, the leader I am today will not be the leader I am tomorrow, as there is always room to grow and improve.