A New Perspective on Leadership by Cynthia

A New Perspective on Leadership by Cynthia - July 2026 Scholarship Essay

When I first started my Ethical Leadership class, I thought I would mainly learn about how to be a better leader, communicate with others, and work well in a team. I quickly realized that leadership was much more complicated than I originally thought. The biggest challenge for me was learning that many leadership situations do not always have one clear answer. Instead, they require you to think carefully, understand different perspectives, and consider how your decisions impact the people around you.

Before taking this class, I often looked at problems by trying to find the quickest solution. Ethical Leadership challenged me to slow down and think more deeply about why decisions are made and who those decisions affect. Through class discussions, assignments, and examples of real-life situations, I learned that being a good leader means more than just making decisions. It means listening to others, understanding different viewpoints, and being responsible for the choices you make.

One of the biggest lessons I took away from this class was that leadership is about serving others. I learned that strong leaders are not always the loudest people in the room or the ones with the most authority. Instead, they are people who are willing to listen, support others, and make decisions based on what is right rather than what is easiest. This changed the way I think about leadership because it showed me that being a leader comes with a responsibility to care about the people you are leading.

This class also helped me reflect on my own experiences as a student-athlete. Being part of a soccer team has shown me that leadership happens in everyday moments. It can be encouraging a teammate, staying positive during difficult situations, or helping others feel supported. I realized that leadership is not only something that happens when you have a specific title or position, it is something you demonstrate through your actions.

The lessons I learned in Ethical Leadership will also help me in my future career in healthcare administration. Healthcare requires leaders who can make thoughtful decisions while considering the needs of patients, families, and communities. I want to work in healthcare because I believe everyone deserves to feel understood and cared for, especially during difficult moments. This class taught me that effective leadership requires compassion, critical thinking, and the ability to see situations from different perspectives.

Although Ethical Leadership was challenging at first, it became one of the classes that helped me grow the most. It taught me to think beyond the obvious answer and consider the bigger impact of my decisions. More importantly, it helped me understand the type of leader I want to become: someone who listens, supports others, and uses leadership as a way to make a positive difference.