3 Reasons Why You Should Take a Leadership Class

In my opinion, anyone can learn to be a leader with a little perseverance and courage. How do you attain these mindsets? Taking a leadership class is a good way to start.

You might be thinking, “A leadership class would be a useless credit. It doesn’t satisfy any of my course requirements.” While many schools do not require a leadership course, many recommend it, and it would likely count as an elective credit.

Here are three of the many reasons why taking a leadership class is a smart move for all college students.

1. It will improve your marketability.

Landing your dream career has a lot to do with marketing yourself to potential employers. Businesses are looking for someone with skills and accomplishments that far surpass those of all other applicants, and they will look for leadership skills to shine through during in-person interactions such as job fairs and interviews.

Leadership classes give you a thorough overview of the qualities of a good leader, while also allowing you to put these skills into practice in classroom and community settings. I like to think of it as leadership training that will put you one step ahead in the job-hunting game.

2. It will boost your confidence.

Self-confidence is a vital skill, both in the working world and in your social life. In a leadership class, public speaking, group activities and similar exercises will force you to be confident in yourself and your opinions, even when you’re faced with opposition.

I can make one guarantee: A leadership class is going to force you out of your comfort zone at least once. Even if you already have good leadership skills and strong self-confidence, there is always room for progress, and a leadership class will mentally push you to take the steps to improve.

3. It will allow you to learn with other student leaders.

The course material for a leadership class is valuable on its own, but adding in interaction with other aspiring leaders makes the experience even more beneficial. Instructors for leadership courses are typically very strong leaders, and while many of them are also very good teachers, it can oftentimes be beneficial to learn from someone who you can relate to as a student.

Student-to-student learning can occur often in a leadership course. For example, let’s say the topic of the day in a leadership class is how to be an influential person. By watching one of your classmates attempt the day’s exercise, you can see what things worked and what things didn’t. You can then mold the good things into your own performance, and just like that, you have improved your leadership skills just by watching another student.

If you plan to sign up for a leadership course, or if you have already taken one, that’s awesome! You have taken the initiative to step out from the crowd, and it will serve you well in your future career.