Leadership is a concept that I did not think about much until I was a senior in high school. I would have called myself a leader because of my involvements in school, but I never thought about how leadership is so much more than a role you are given. A large part of who I am today is because of my role models, and growing up I always wanted to be a role model to others. Since others have had such a large impact on me, I think that Leadership is about your interactions and influence on others. To me, Leadership is inspiring others to be their best and happiest self. By doing this, the people you inspire will then be able to inspire others. Leadership is a chain reaction that is created both intentionally and unintentionally through our interactions with others.
Growing up, I had three siblings were all older than me. They were all involved in school, sports, and extracurriculars , and the three of them always seemed to be happy. It did not take long for me as a kid to become involved in everything possible. It was through the experiences I shared with my siblings and my involvements that I learned what I was truly passionate about. My family helped me develop my values of happiness, independence, integrity, and respect. Slowly I discovered what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to make others happy like my family had done for me. To me, this is one of the ultimate forms of leadership. They way my family has inspired me to discover my own passions of equality and inclusiveness has given me the opportunity to help others to do the same.
In our everyday lives, we come into contact with so many different people, and every little interaction plays a larger role in each person’s life than we realize. If I approach all of my interactions with my leadership philosophy, I will be fostering leadership in others. Having a positive attitude and taking small steps to make someone else’s day better through small actions like helping a stranger with groceries, or simply just smiling at people as they walk by will inspire others to do the same, which will inspire the people the come into contact with, and this chain reaction will keep continuing. Our society functions on the concept of functionalism, which states how every person has a role in society. By using positive attitudes to become a role model and inspire others to be a role model, you will be changing the world a little bit every and make it a better place.
Leadership allows us to make the world a better place by allowing others to become leaders as well through our inspiration and positivity. Leadership is not always a title you hold or a task you have accomplished, more often leadership is about how you make others feel. If people feel supported and happy in the world, they will have the tools to find their passions. Change is fostered through individuality, and leadership is an essential part of the growth needed in the world. 
Ashleigh Varney 