At NSCS, we stand for the Three Pillars: Scholarship, Leadership, and Service. While all three of these elements are undoubtedly important, if we had to choose one that has the most impact on students’ futures, it would be Leadership.
The average college classroom experience may offer a couple of opportunities for leadership development, at most. So, students who go above and beyond and participate in leadership development programs in college truly set themselves apart. This participation and the skills learned in these programs help facilitate a lifetime of success. Here are a few key ways in which leadership development programs, like those offered through NSCS, can help you achieve your goals.
Identify Your Leadership Style
Everyone has their own leadership style, but it often takes some practice and exploration to learn what it is. Once you do identify your leadership style, you can work to cultivate it and improve it over time. It is certainly a lot easier to do this in a leadership development program than in your first year in a management position.
By the time students in leadership programs graduate, they know how they lead best, and they have identified specific strategies and skills that help them lead effectively. With this knowledge and self-awareness, you can hit the ground running in your first managerial role.
Become a More Competitive Applicant
Employers want to hire employees who are capable leaders. If they have five applicants for a position and only one of those applicants has a demonstrated history of leadership, that one applicant is really going to stand out.
Being able to list a leadership development program on your resume – and discuss your leadership experience in an interview – will make you a more competitive applicant. You’ll likely find yourself with several positions to choose from post-graduation, and you may even be able to negotiate a higher salary based on your experience.
Mentor Others
At NSCS, we encourage and support peer mentorship. So, once you’ve participated in a leadership development program and have fine-tuned your own leadership skills, you can mentor younger students who are seeking to do the same.
Mentoring other students is a great way to make connections and start building your network. You never quite know who you are going to meet and how that connection may benefit you professionally, years down the road. The mentor is often the one who introduces the mentee to a company or employee, but sometimes the opposite is true!
Understand Your Leaders
Once you have some leadership exprience of your own, you will likely find it easier to understand your leaders, the decisions they make, and why they operate the way they do. This understanding will help you be a better employee. You will know how to work and perform in ways that support your leader and their goals. You’ll know how to make your own needs, concerns, and ideas known in a way that correlates with your leaders’ visions. This sort of team mentality and understanding will carry you far. It will help you succeed both individually and as a part of any groups you become affiliated with.
If you are a goal-oriented college student, we strongly encourage you to pursue a leadership development program, such as those offered through NSCS. Students who focus on leadership graduate with a head-start. They enter the working world ready to manage others, collaborate as team members, and lead with integrity and compassion. Join NSCS; we’d love to have you as a member.
