Exemplary Leader

 A leader can be seen in many forms and there are different definitions of what a good leader is, however, I consider a good leader to be an individual who is a role model for his or her peers and leads by example. During basketball season my freshman year, there was one individual who possessed all the core qualities to become a leader motivated to win many basketball games and eventually multiple state championships. This individual was a role model for all the upcoming high school basketball players as he led by example and motivated others to love the game as much as he does. Captain of the Varsity team, he helped move the team in a positive direction. He was courageous as he never backed down from adversity that came his way. When the school was tight on money and threatened to cut one of the basketball teams, he started multiple school fundraisers and advocated the student body to help save the basketball program. He was also a risk taker. As he was the best player on the team, he compromised his playing time for someone who didn’t get as many chances to play. His risky moves was a major reason why many of his teammates looked up to him. This individual is a good leader because he is a role model, courageous, and a risk taker. These three components are still characteristics that are used to describe a leader today. As many great leaders face ethical dilemmas, he was also faced an ethical dilemma. The second best player on the team and one of this individual’s closest friend was caught drinking alcohol two days before a basketball game. According to the rules, this player must be suspended for at least two games and on top of that it was the decision of the captain to enforce a punishment. This individual did not want to hurt his friend nor did he want to hurt the team with his actions but he had to obey the rules so he “benched” his friend for an extra two games which hurt the team’s position in the conference standings. This exemplary leader was a role model who led by example and completely ethically.

Jinay Amin