Every group, no matter how large or small, has a leader. The leader may be recognized officially and given a title, or may be an informal, de facto leader, simply acknowledged as the one who always makes the decisions. Being a leader entails more responsibility than being an ordinary member of a group. Perhaps this is why some people feel that it is better to be a member than a leader. But I disagree because, along with its responsibilities, leadership brings many advantages

The advantages of being a leader include the opportunity to make a greater contribution to the group, to test one’s limits and discover strengths and weaknesses, and to gain valuable experience and develop skills. First, it is the leader who often determines the course that a group will take. Therefore, the leader has the chance to carry out his vision and to contribute his ideas to the group. Second, the leader of a group will have ample opportunity to discover what he is good at and what skills he needs to develop. Finally, leading a group is a valuable experience which can be applied to many other situations in life. A leader naturally develops communication and organizational skills which can help him succed in other endeavors in the future.

With all of these advantages, it is obvious that leading a group can be a positive experience. Although there is always the risk of failure, if we do not face this risk, we cannot progress. The leader of a group is in a unique position to test himself, to grow and advance, and to learn from both his successes and failures.