While writing your term paper, if you’re asked to write an essay on leadership, how will you begin? Will you define leadership from the Oxford Dictionary, will you begin by referring to your favorite leader’s qualities or will you outline the general characteristics that you think will make a leader? Well, if you are in doubt, please know that it is fine to begin the essay with any of the above methods.  The important aspect to keep in mind is that you’re describing a quality and you should supplement it with ample examples, references and if possible, quotes. The introduction to your essay is obviously the place to hold and capture your reader’s attention, so make sure whatever you write makes the reader curious enough to read through the entire essay.

Also, remember that writing a leadership essay encompasses many different aspects – like leadership styles, leadership development, types of leadership, successful leadership, leadership principles and values etc. Before beginning your essay, make a draft about what aspect you want to highlight upon. Your prescribed essay length should help you decide how much you can include and how many aspects you can briefly allude to.

Leadership is not just about commanding people, but it is also about following them, and listening to them. One does not always have to be a commander, a chief or a boss to be a great leader. A great leader can also be one who has total command and control over his life, his words, his deeds and actions, and who helps others help themselves. There are lots of great qualities in a leader that you can choose from and elaborate on them with examples. For instance, 10 great leadership qualities that most people agree should be present in a leader are:

  1. Empathy
  2. Dedication
  3. Sincerity
  4. Passionate about his beliefs
  5. Puts people’s interests above his own
  6. Responsibility and ownership
  7. Self motivated
  8. Ability to influence
  9. Ability to lead
  10. Ability to teach

An effective leader can be humble and strong at the same time, teach and learn at the same time, give credit to his followers and command respect at the same time. To be prepared on writing a leadership essay, you can also read biography essays

of great leaders. You can also build up your knowledge by reading on different leadership strategies and how they affected people in various stages in life.

To make your leadership essay more interesting, also try to compare two very different kinds of leaders and provide an analysis of what made them successful or unsuccessful as leaders. Remember to conclude your essay with a statement on what you learned from the lives of great leaders.