Reflection on Good Leadership

One example of good leadership is my student body president. As a straight A student, swimmer, clarinet player, and member of the forensics team, Alison certifies herself as a diverse individual who can relate to us all. As a straight-A student, she is able to relate to the other motivated academic workers. As a swimmer she can connect to those of us who dedicate ourselves to sports. As a member of the band, she can relate to those of us who play instruments. Lastly, as a member of the forensics team she can connect to the struggle to balance forensics and schoolwork. By being such a well-rounded student, Alison was able to form a friendly relationship with each and every student in our grade. It was obvious that the open-mindedness and charisma that Alison displayed was genuine, making her a well-liked individual. Additionally, Alison’s courageous and determined attitude sparked hope in the rest of our class by allowing us to believe that having her as our student body president would lead to a successful high school experience. By demonstrating these leadership qualities, Alison proved herself to be a worthy leader.

            I believe that everyone faces ethical dilemmas everyday, no matter where they are. Whether it’s deciding whether or not to pick up someone else’s trash or finding a $100 dollar bill on the floor, each dilemma forces us to question our own ethics. I believe Alison, as student body president, was thrown into many situations where she experienced an ethical dilemma. For example, several students in our grade decided to throw a prank and bring a canoe into our school and ride down our main staircase during Spirit Week. The principal of our school allowed the student body presidents of each grade to make the decision of whether or not the Pep Rally for our Homecoming Game should be canceled. Alison was forced to make a decision for everyone in our school. Should she vote to cancel our most exciting event of the year and be hated by many peers or should she be responsible and take away the Pep Rally to discipline us? After weighing both sides, Alison and the other presidents determined it would be best to cancel the Pep Rally in order to keep the kids in our school from acting out again. Though it was a difficult situation, utilizing ethics allowed Alison to make the right decision.