To be 100% honest, I was never the first person in class to eagerly raise my hand to answer a question. It wasn't that I didn't know it, I was just shy and a little scared that I was wrong. And it is normal to be scared right? I also would have this nagging fear that someone would think I was stupid or annoying for answering the question. That they would think I was a know it all. It really was such a stupid thing to worry about. No one cared in all reality, but it made me scared to make a decision or to speak up about something when it would affect other people. However, by being in a leadership position, it has taught me to abandon that fear and to think and make the best decisions that I can.

When I first got this leadership position, I was scared to death. I have never been in that kind of role before; one where I would be in charge of such a large group of people. The members of my team would come to me when something went wrong, or if they had a problem or a question. I was terrified that I wouldn't know the answer to these questions and that I wouldn't be able to keep myself organized and on top of things. But, this wonderful role I now have has caused just the opposite. I have learned how come up with solutions to problems people were having and I had to make decisions that were tough to make. I have learned to analyze all the variables of what is going on to help run a well-oiled machine to do great things.

But being a leader has done more than just teach me how to analyze and make decisions. It has made me more confident in myself. I used to always second guess myself and what I was doing but by being the decision maker I don't think twice. I am confident in what I have learned and my ability to do my job. I always have a constant reminder going through my head: if you couldn't do this, you wouldn't have gotten it. Thinking that thought is what kept me going even when I failed and thought I was never going to figure something out. If someone else had confidence in me, I have to have confidence in myself, otherwise I will fail.

Being a leader has taught me the power of teamwork and collaboration. I have built a tremendous team around me that works well together and does amazing work. When you are a leader you can't think of yourself as their "boss." Sure, you may be in charge but your position isn't there for you to boss them around and be a power-hungry crazy person. You learn to know all of your team member's strengths and weaknesses. You learn how to build up both their weaknesses and strengths until there are no more weaknesses. You learn to help and collaborate. You learn to motivate and encourage. You learn how to be a better version of the person you already are.