Leadership and empowerment: advice from a senior

As a high school senior with only a few months left until graduation, it feels important for me to talk about some of the things I've learned throughout my high school years; specifically, how to feel empowered and become a leader to those around you.

I've gone to my current school for the past six years, and my school isn't very large. With under 200 students in attendance, I've gotten to know the people around me very well. This is one of the key skills needed to be an efficient leader: connection. Leadership can't function without trust, which is why it's so important to make an attempt to understand the people around you. Leadership also doesn't just mean being a leader to those who are younger than you. Oftentimes, your friends are the ones who will need guidance and that connection will allow you to give them the best advice possible.

One of the best ways to practice your leadership skills is to immerse yourself in the community around you. Join a club at school, volunteer at a local business, sign up to be a LOUDwomen ambassador, etc. These are all simple ways to become better at being a leader and help you build confidence in yourself!

Speaking of confidence, another thing I've learned throughout the years is that life as a whole becomes much easier once you feel empowered as a human being. Becoming comfortable with yourself and the body you live in is how empowerment is formed; and it also allows us to share that empowerment with others.

Leadership and empowerment tend to go hand in hand. As someone in who is in leadership positions at my school, I've found that leadership doesn't truly work unless you believe in yourself. Empowerment and confidence in yourself are two vital steps to leadership!

I also recognize that although it's easy to talk about being a leader, it's not quite that simple. You can't just join a club and expect to be president, or become an employee and immediately get promoted to CEO. So where do we start?

As mentioned before, the best way to start is to get involved in your community. To do this, I'd recommend talking to the people around you. Ask them where they volunteer, or any other way they give back to the community. This is a great way to find opportunities and learn about them before applying. You can also ask teachers or other mentor figures for advice; they've most likely had people ask them this before, so they'll know exactly what direction to guide you in.

As you probably remember, I'm a senior in high school. I'll be graduating in May, and heading off to college in the fall. It's important for me to write a piece like this because I want younger people to know the importance of leadership. It won't just help in you school, but also for your life after you graduate.

To conclude, please get involved with your community! It's not only beneficial to you, but you're also helping others to succeed. Being a leader isn't just about empowering yourself, but also about teaching others to be confident in the world around them. Go out and be a leader in your community today!

Brennan, Chris. “8 Must-Have Leadership Traits for Current and Future Leaders.” Insperity, 22 Nov. 2022, www.insperity.com/blog/8-must-have-leadership-traits-for-current-and-future-leaders/.

Jozie Moll - 12th grade

Instagram: jozie_moll