As a teen, it can be hard to shine through in life.  The world always seems to be against you, have a dark shade of gray around it.  However, there are still those around us doing their best to make the world brighter, to take away that dark gray shade.  These people are the leaders in the world.  They are the strong individuals that make our world a little brighter when we meet them.  And guess what?  These people can be us.

I believe that a teen leader is someone that takes charge in their life and sets goals for the future.  Leaders know exactly what to do and solve situations that create an obstacle in their way.  A great way a teen could do this is by setting a mental goal for the day or doing their best in helping others. This shows others how much of a leader you really are.  A study by O’Brien and Kohlmeier found that as a teen starts to have leader-like tendencies, they are able to better solve others’ problems and boost their participation in their communities.  This shows us that teens have the ability to help out in lives if they put their minds to it.

A leader can also impact lives.  We would be living in the world we live in now if we didn't have powerful leaders in history.  We would not be living in a mostly non-segregated community if it weren’t for Martin Luther King Jr. And we wouldn’t be living in a free country if it were not for George Washington inspiring troops in the times of the Revolutionary War. And using these past examples, teens can use them as examples in a way for themselves to make a difference in our society.

A leader, by definition, is “a person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country.”  People look up to leaders when in a conflict, or trouble occurs. This is when a leader shines its brightest, showing everyone exactly what they can do. This can be applied to teens’ everyday lives, such as when working on a group project. A leader needs to be the one to take charge and make sure the work has been completed.

As you can see, teens have a full potential in becoming a leader.  Statistics by Barnes and Krieger find that leadership is more of a reflection of a group, rather than an individual.  So, those around help us to stand out as an individual as well. I believe that it takes a strong and intelligent person to realize that they can be destined for greatness. If any of the characteristics above apply to you, then congratulations. You are a leader as well.