I didn’t think I possessed leadership qualities as a child. Growing up, when I was around neurotypical kids, I was the timid, quiet, student who didn’t speak up unless called on by the teacher. I wasn’t assertive, didn’t want to bring attention to myself, and most of all, I didn’t want to say the wrong thing. There wasn’t any leadership qualities I had had that stood out. Usually, the loud people were seen as the leaders of tomorrow, so I didn’t see potential in me. That view changed when I entered Unified Sports, Special Olympics, and other spaced with neurodivergent individuals.
Be The Change You Want to See
While I wasn’t the loud, brash type of leader, coaches, teachers, and others saw other leadership qualities in me. Such as bravery, compassion, comradery, and knowledge. I was flattered, but I just misjudged this for being more “high functioning”. So, I went along, but I wasn’t seeing what they saw nor did I desire that responsibility. It wasn’t until I was older I accepted that some people looked to me for guidance. I recently spoke at a library about leadership and the audience commented what I heard many times before. Now, I see leadership qualities in me, but in others around me as well. Still feels weird for people to refer to me as a leader, but I’ve learn to be more perspective and lead by example as I’ve aged. Hopefully, I can use these qualities to help the younger generation to become leaders themselves.