Colleges love leaders. Some of them even ask students to write a whole essay about how they demonstrate leadership. For students who aren't the captain of the soccer team or the class president, this essay can strike fear in their hearts. But before you panic, consider a broader definition of leadership! Here are some examples:

Leadership in Class: Maybe you always speak up in class, lead group discussions, or take charge during class projects. Perhaps you demonstrate leadership by tutoring other students in a subject or being the first to ask a question. Sometimes a leader sits back and observes before offering an opinion.

Leadership at Work: Do you get asked to watch over things if the boss steps out? Have you been asked to train anyone or supervise another worker? Any sort of a job teaches you critical leadership skills like time management, customer service, and responsibility.

Leadership at Home: Are you responsible for getting younger siblings to and from school? Did you have to help someone get their schoolwork done while your parents worked on Zoom all day? COVID and quarantine gave us all a crash course in flexibility and resilience, hallmarks of great leaders.

If you belong to clubs or activities where you can take on an official leadership role, fantastic. Asking for (or creating) more responsibility can help you engage more with your interests. But think more broadly about what leadership means and looks like in your life; it doesn't necessarily have a title!