Fall 2025 Winner of the Leadership Excellence Scholarship Winners

Jad Elias

Jad’s time at college has shaped his perspective on what it takes to be a strong leader. Whether in the classroom or in a leadership role within his fraternity, he has come to realize the importance of truly listening to others and valuing team efforts. Congratulations, Jad — we appreciate your insights and continued personal growth!

Read his essay

Leadership is not about having power or being in charge. It is about caring deeply for the people around you and being willing to put their needs ahead of your own. The best leaders, in my opinion, are the ones who put others first, understand that leadership often means making sacrifices, and lead through their actions rather than just their words. These values have shaped how I approach leadership, and they were powerfully reinforced when I read Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek. That book opened my eyes to what leadership really means, and it inspired me to become a better leader myself.

The first and most important quality a leader can have is the ability to put others before themselves. Leadership is not about standing in the spotlight. It is about making sure everyone else feels seen and supported. I learned this firsthand during my terms as the academic chairman and treasurer of my fraternity. It can be easy to get frustrated with officers or people who have responsibilities within the chapter, but as it turns out, it is much more productive to practice patience and understanding when leading. A common misconception about being in a position of power within an organization is that the people who are on top are the ones who have the authority to order people around and their word be the final say. A true leader is one who respects the people who directly report to him, and one who gives everyone a chance to express their opinions and ideas. An organization needs the support of their leader, hence the leading by example principle. Operations start from the bottom up, not from the top down. Listening to the people who actually “get the work done” and get firsthand experience in the work being done ensures that important issues and topics are being discussed. There is nothing more detrimental to an organization than a disconnected a leader.

Simon Sinek’s idea of the “Circle of Safety” stuck with me. He writes about how the best leaders create an environment where people feel safe, valued, and protected. That is what I try to do whenever I lead. Whether it is in the classroom, during a team project, or in a volunteer setting, I want people to know they are not alone and that their well-being comes first. When people feel safe and supported, they give their best — not because they are told to, but because they want to.

Another quality I believe every strong leader needs is the willingness to sacrifice. Being a leader often means doing the hard or unglamorous work that no one else wants to do. I experienced this while leading my chapter through countless events. I was often the first to arrive and the last to leave. I spent weekends organizing supplies, handling last-minute problems, and making sure things ran smoothly. A lot of what I did went unnoticed, but that never bothered me. I knew I was helping the team succeed, and that was enough. Leadership, to me, means stepping up even when it is inconvenient or exhausting — especially then.

This is something Simon Sinek talks about in a way that really stayed with me. He describes how in the military, leaders literally eat last. They let their team eat first because that is what leaders do — they serve. That simple image changed the way I saw leadership. It is not about privilege. It is about responsibility. When I think about the kind of leader I want to be, I think about the people who quietly give everything they can to lift others up. That is the kind of leader I try to be every day.

Finally, I believe the most powerful kind of leadership comes from setting an example. It is easy to give orders. It is much harder — and much more meaningful — to live out the values you expect from others. I had the chance to do this as a mentor in a peer support program at school. Instead of just giving advice, I worked alongside the students I was helping. I showed them how I stayed organized, how I studied, and how I handled challenges. Over time, they started picking up those habits for themselves. It was never about telling them what to do — it was about showing them what was possible.

Sinek puts it beautifully when he says that trust is not given because of rank or title. It is earned through consistent action. When people see a leader who is honest, reliable, and unafraid to admit mistakes, they feel more confident and willing to grow. That is the kind of leader I strive to be — someone who inspires others not with speeches, but by showing up and doing the work.

To me, leadership means putting people first. It means choosing service over status and being willing to lead from the front by example. These lessons have helped shape me, and reading Leaders Eat Last brought them to life in a way that I will never forget. I know I still have a lot to learn, but I am committed to being a leader who listens, who serves, and who inspires through action. Not because I want to be followed, but because I want to help others rise and lead too.