What makes someone a leader? We interact with them every day. They run our country, decide local and school policies, organize our fundraisers, facilitate our clubs. We look up to them, or, if nothing else, to them to take charge when a situation calls for action and resolve the problem at hand. We expect them to have the wisdom to make the most beneficial decisions in any given situation, and trust that they have our best interests at heart when they determine the best action to take. They serve as a rallying point, an area of unity, where we all come together under a common purpose in hopes of producing something great.

About a week ago, I was told that I would be serving as the editor-in-chief of the Clear Creek HiLife next year. My initial reaction is probably best described along the lines of pure excitement. I’ve been on the newspaper staff for the past two and a half years, and have spent at least since the middle of my sophomore year dreaming of the opportunity to take this job. Immediately my mind went to work concocting a number of half-formed, and probably idealistic, plans for next year.

That euphoria, however, probably lasted all of about five hours, quickly being replaced by a realization of the ridiculous amount of responsibility I would now be facing. I’m told, by multiple sources, not to mention my own instincts, that this is no easy job. Considering that I’m the one who still struggles to possess any measure of assertiveness in any situation whatsoever, I found myself overwhelmed by a sense of inadequacy. Who was I to run a high school newspaper?

It would be an understatement to say that that realization got me thinking. I wrestled with the voices that told me I was in no way qualified for this job, that it would be better to just take the easy way out and decline. What if I went through with this and it turned out to be more than I could take? They say that power corrupts. Who was I to assume that I was exempt from its pull?

And so in the midst of all of these questions, I was forced to ask myself what it is that a leader does. So I came up with this idea of a few of the things I will have to do if I want to have any hope of being one to take charge.

First off, a leader has to be one to take responsibility. More than simply getting the job done, it means being willing to own up to any of the mistakes that happen on the way. Since human error is pretty much inescapable, there will probably be times when I realize that I didn’t exactly make the best decision. At that point, my job is not to try to justify my actions or pass the blame off on to others, but to be willing to realize what went wrong and fix it. It also means taking responsibility for others in that I have their best interests at heart as well as those of the paper when I make decisions, and that I have the obligation to be the best I can be for those around me so that things get done, and get done right.

Another thing a leader must do is learn to lead by example. We humans are social creatures; we naturally look to those in authority, to those we consider role models, and watch their actions, often for the purpose of shaping our own. Whether we see them as someone to emulate or someone whose example we shun is totally up to the one being watched. I can’t expect those around me to do something if I’m not willing to do it myself. Not that I have to do everyone else’s job, but I guess it’s a golden rule sort of thing. If I want respect, I have to be respectful first; if I expect someone to come in after school, I have to be just as willing to do so when I have to; if there’s something that needs to be done, I have to be just as much a part of making it happen as everyone else.

I guess that along those lines, perhaps one of the most overlooked characteristics of a leader is that, almost paradoxically, their primary job is one of service. This means realizing that I am not the most important person in the newsroom and that I have this job, not to propagate my own ends, but to be a part of the bigger picture. I’m not here to make myself look good, but to bring out the best in everyone I work with, so that maybe we can all be a part of something good. If I try to run everything myself, chances are I’ll eventually hit a point where I can’t do any more. But if, as a service to my fellow students, I help everyone learn to do their best work, then I have achieved more than if I were trying to run my own show.

That being said, I wholly accept the position of editor-in-chief for next year. I came to realize that the best responsibility I could take, the highest example I can set, the best way to serve in whatever capacity I can, is to step up and take the opportunity I have been offered. Honestly, as I’m writing this, I feel like this must all seem very idealistic, like all of the ideas I’m emulating here are much easier said than done. That’s probably truer than I realize. But next year will bring what it will, and I plan to rise to the challenge, whatever it is, so that I can learn to become the best leader I can be. It might not be an easy task, but, by the grace of God, I will fulfill my duty to the best of my ability, and maybe, by the time I’m done, leave a legacy worth following