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With Yale or Harvard it makes perfect sense to emphasis leadership. Emphasizing leadership skills for STEM students at engineering schools? That makes less se
by Crito 13y ago
With Yale or Harvard it makes perfect sense to emphasis leadership. Emphasizing leadership skills for STEM students at engineering schools? That makes less sense. Emphasizing leadership skills for developers at West Coast tech companies? Now we're just getting silly... Sure leadership plays a role in what I do, but I wouldn't rate it in the top 5 important skills.
As an example, to help myself get into college I was in the boy scouts and got eagle scout (that was the only reason, I hated it.) The idea there was that by teaching other kids how to use an axe without dismembering themselves, I demonstrated leadership skills that would prove valuable in computer science... Of course that is rubbish, that stuff doesn't even have anything to do with leadership, it is just going through the motions. Paying lip service to the idea of leadership because the idea of leadership, not actual leadership, is something that we are all addicted to.
I've gotten use to it though. My personal theory? Leaders overemphasis the importance of everyone being a leader. Just as tech people get behind "everyone should be a coder" initiatives, leaders get behind "everyone should be a leader" initiatives.
- dubfan 13y agoI always detested this empty "leadership" concept and I actively avoided doing anything like that in high school. I was lucky enough to get into my top choice of universities despite this. Today, I don't think I would be able to do that, and I only graduated high school 10 years ago.
- aet 13y agoEasy enough -- just found a new club -- make your group of friends the "executive leadership team" -- then make the entire high school honorary members. You now lead the largest club. Woo! admitted
- gordjw 13y agoI feel like everyone should be a "leader", in that it's important to develop qualities that are useful in leaders. Critical thinking, decision making, etc. Even if you're not actually in charge, the related skills of leadership are useful.
- Crito 13y agoMost of those things, (also "communication skills") are probably not really best described as "leadership skills". They are more "general life skills", but "leadership skills" is just the popular thing to call them I guess. The problem is when things like college admissions start believing that these skills are best demonstrated in "leadership positions".