Holding leadership positions in high school organizations is great experience. You learn about the joys and challenges of being in charge, working with people, and managing the interests of your organization. But I’ve met far fewer high school students who actually took steps to learn how to be great at it.
“Participating in student government taught me many important lessons about leadership” may be a true statement in your college essay, but it’s also a true statement that most student government participants can make. Why not take additional steps to learn how to be a better leader? Show colleges that you’re curious, that you take your roles seriously, and that you went out of your way to learn skills that will be welcome on any college campus.
Here’s a past post from 2010 sharing three great books about leadership and management (two very different roles requiring equally different skill sets). The books aren’t new, but the ideas hold up.
Zingerman's is a deli that has expanded to several local fine food stores and now does $13 million a year in revenues. The second of co-founder Ari Weinzwig's books, Zingerman’s Guide to Good Leading Part 2: A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to Being a Better Leader, is also excellent.
And I just pre-ordered Simon Sinek’s Leaders Eat Last, which comes out January 7. (I've blogged several times before about Sinek’s previous book, Start with Why.)
Of course, the takeaway here isn’t just applicable to leadership. Successful people get that way by pushing themselves to learn and get better, whether you’re a leader, athlete, artist, musician, or board-breaking black belt in karate.
Whatever you enjoy doing, take steps to get even better at it, not because perfection is what’s expected, but because that’s what motivated people do when they’re committed to something they care about.