Linus Soh

I submitted my application for the awards today…finally! I got some time to do this and finally did. I’m pretty excited about it. Jeff finally read my essay and told me he liked it. Not that should be a litmus test or anything…but it was enough to tell me that it was good.

What’s an English major good for?! I should be able to write something. And I believe it to be a very good essay. Because this essay is so sensitive, I don’t feel comfortable giving out to the general public. Please feel free to ask and based on who you are, I may give it to you.

However, you all are MORE THAN WELCOME to come to the awards ceremony on May 1st in the Grand Ballroom!

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There is an inherent cost to leadership. It isn’t often talked about in books or magazines…or even within leadership circles. I guess that’s because that cost is so personal and amorphous that it’s often hard to describe. Don’t get me wrong, I love who I am and I enjoy what I do. I have to admit though, the costs are high.

There are costs to friendships. I can’t tell you how many friends have left me because I challenged them on issues they are struggling with. I’ve lost count after two years ago. There is a cost to my stress. I think I’m not doing as good a job of watching my weight as I usually do. And I think I’m not metabolizing as I usually do because I’m not eating meals…I’m eating snacks throughout the day.

And then there is the cost to my personal friends. Most of my close friends don’t see or even experience the depth and intensity that I do with the kind of work I do. I’m convinced that if these things were written in the job application, we wouldn’t have many leaders. But true leaders still do these things, regardless of the personal costs. I know I still do.

To quote the last paragraph of my essay:

Leadership is not a position; it’s a cause. And leaders need to be committed to their cause. They have to have the courage to put a friendship on the line because they care more about the person than they do about the relationship. And finally, have the commitment to stay with them, even after they have left. I have proved myself to my friends as this kind of leader. And I am honored and humbled to be considered for these awards. Because, quite frankly, I don’t do these things because I’m a leader. I’m a leader because I do these things. This who I am, and who I want to be.