When I think of influential leaders of the 21st century I think of Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Barack Obama; the big names who lead huge corporations or groups of people and continuously make substantial changes that affect society.

But the definition of a leader is becoming more individualized. Leadership doesn’t have to be on such a grand scale. Anyone can develop leadership skills and become a leader in their own community, school, friend group or job.

For college students, becoming a leader is both challenging and accessible. It can be overwhelming to think about trying to stick out and become a leader when more than 5,000 people surround you every day. The challenging aspect is following the stereotypical path to becoming a leader, such as getting involved in everything and anything, being outgoing and being well-known on campus. Some people thrive by doing all of these tasks, but for others, doing all of those things may not be possible or done easily.

I spoke with my current management professor, Stefanie Phythian, about college students becoming leaders. She challenged all students to grow as leaders even in subtle ways.

“I think the obvious way is getting involved in your clubs and your teams and all of those ways you know you can be leaders, but I also think there are a lot of subtle ways to be leaders,” Phythian said. “Even the way you carry yourself across campus, and the actions that you have at sporting events and things like that. That’s being a quiet kind of leader – doing the things that not necessarily everyone else is doing but setting an example for other people.”

Fortunately, college students have access to a large variety of opportunities to develop leadership skills. From being a club leader or resident advisor to organizing a group project or being a resource to classmates, all types of people can build their leadership skills. Leadership is something that is learned through experience, and by taking advantage of the opportunities on campus, in classes, in the workplace and with friends, students will ultimately benefit in the future.

Phythian also urged students not wait to develop leadership skills because it will give them a jump-start for their future careers.

“If you wait and think, someday I’ll be a leader, then everyone else is passing you by because they’re working on their leadership skills now,” Phythian said. “And the sooner you do it, the more second nature it becomes. It becomes intuition for you the more comfortable you are with it.”

The Center for Association Leadership lists eight common leadership styles that people can have, as well as each leadership style’s specific behaviors and impact on others. These leadership styles include: charismatic, innovative, command and control, laissez-faire, pace setter, servant, situational and transformational.

While the Center’s list is a useful tool that gives a well-rounded vision of what a leader looks like, students should realize there is not a definite list of what makes a good leader. The most important aspects of becoming a leader are knowing yourself and the values that are important to you because these aspects will be portrayed through your leadership style.

It is also important to note that different leadership styles are more effective in different situations. For example, when working on a group project with classmates, a charismatic leader could be more effective because he or she would inspire motivation, while a laissez-faire leader would not be as necessary in that situation.

You don’t have to be the most extroverted or loudest person in the room to be a leader or to get the right kind of attention. Just by leading yourself and taking steps to build on aspects such as communication, problem solving and dealing with different personalities, you will become a more confident leader. Growing as a leader in college can only help you get to know yourself, build up your abilities, and help you in the future. So why not challenge yourself and be a leader?

Claire Noack can be reached at noac8702@stthomas.edu.