thesis statement about leadership examples

How to Write a Leadership Statement (With 40 Examples)

A leadership statement is essential to help contribute to the organization’s success. However, it may be challenging to come up with the right words to create an impact.

What should the statement emphasize? What should be included?

According to experts, here are the key points that you need to consider when writing a leadership statement:

Loic Bellet

Business English Coach, Speak Proper English

Discuss what you will do differently due to what you’ve learned about leadership and yourself

Consider what attributes make someone an excellent leader before crafting your statement.

The ability to motivate others, moral dignity, plus placing a high value on connections with team members are all examples of leadership qualities and skills. What outstanding leadership traits do you possess?

Before you start drafting your statement:

• Make a list.
• Go over your word list again and pick one , maybe two of these attributes to emphasize .
• As it pertains to the trait you choose, provide your assessment of what makes somebody a great leader.

It should be no more than one to two sentences in length. This definition will serve as the foundation for your argument.

Implement a strategy

It all boils down to implementing a strategy when writing a decent statement. Your blueprint is that plan. One of the most crucial advantages of a decent outline is that your statement will be well arranged and easy to follow.

You can use the paragraph structure for a leadership statement or add more paragraphs if you want. This is what your outline might look like:

• Introduction . Captivate the reader’s attention by defining good leadership in terms of the attribute you’ve chosen.
• Paragraphs in the body . Give some history on anecdotes and explain why a leadership characteristic is essential to you and how you live your life according to this value.
• Conclusion . Finish with a strong declaration about your ability to lead.

Grab the reader’s attention and distinguish your assertion from the rest

The beginning of your leadership statement must be strong. This is where you grab the reader’s attention and distinguish your assertion from the rest.

Related: How to Be (more) Assertive

A personal anecdote is the greatest method to do this.

Consider the leadership quality you’ve chosen. When was the last time you showed this characteristic in your life?

Consider a period when your integrity was put to the test in a leadership role if you’re writing about it. Perhaps you were the director of your high school newspaper and felt compelled to expose the identity of a confidential source.

To draw the reader’s attention, describe the scenario in dramatic detail in one or two sentences. Explain why you believe this leadership attribute is crucial after those two phrases. This will serve as a transition into your statement’s body.

Focus on the leadership traits you possess

Focus on the leadership traits you possess in the body of your statement and how they relate to the tale you began to explain in the introduction. You can order your statement however you choose, but here’s a tried and tested method.

Provide some background information

Give some context to your narrative by providing some background information.

Give some information regarding your work as editor if you opened your statement by mentioning being forced to reveal the source of a journalistic piece.

• What method did you use to obtain it?
• What did you consider to be the most significant aspect of this role?

Concentrate on a leadership attribute you already have

Return the attention to leadership. Make sure you’re concentrating on a leadership attribute you already have. You must select a quality that is directly relevant to the anecdote you are presenting.

You may bring the attention back to integrity in the case of the editor being pressed to reveal sources.

• What is the significance of integrity?
• What makes someone an effective leader if they have integrity?

Related: 24 Best Leadership Books of All Time

Make sure your conclusion leaves a lasting impression

Another crucial component of the leadership statement is your conclusion. These are the words that will leave the most lasting impression on your reader about your leadership and writing ability. This is an important aspect of your statement, so make it count.

• Return to the strong leadership while personalizing it.
• Describe how your leadership aligns with your principles and how you displayed leadership in one or two sentences in a specific case.
• Discuss what you’ve learned.
• Finish with a powerful sentence.

What will you do differently in the future due to what you’ve learned about leadership and yourself? To make your words even more powerful, use a parallel framework.

Founder and CEO, Gibson Hill PC

A leadership statement is vital for setting out the expectations and goals of the business and laying out the core values that employees are expected to follow and respect. Also, it is all about getting employees on board so that they understand what the company aims to do for them , getting them invested in the success.

After all, a leadership statement is all about leading, and that requires gathering a team to lead.

Here are some of the things that you should remember when writing a leadership statement:

Talk about core values of your business

Your business should have clear core values that are implemented within the work methodology, and it is essential that, as a leader, you talk about them so that they can be in effect.

Talk about the reason for the company and what it aims to do, and talk about the values and ideals that you uphold and that you expect everyone to respect.

Outline concrete goals

As a leader, it is your job to create guidelines and direct your employees. Having concrete goals is necessary, not only so that the business can grow but also so that employees have a direction to develop and grow.

Set out expectations, and then provide the tools to make them achievable.

Introduce ways of measuring progress

Measuring progress should be about monitoring that things are on track so that you can implement solutions or extra support where needed.

You must address this early on so that it isn’t something for your employees to dread.

Make it relevant to the employees

I’ve read a few leadership statements that are all about the company’s aims and how the leader will be going about things, with no mention as to how it will all affect the employees, and that is a huge mistake.

You want your employees to feel involved and become invested , and this means making sure that the goals you set in place are related to them in some way.

Be your company’s “hype-man”

This is my top recommendation for leadership statements; they should be positive and full of motivation , almost as if you’re selling the idea of the business to your employees to get them excited about the overall success that can be achieved.

Martin Lassen

Founder & CEO, GrammarHow

A “leadership statement” is a written statement outlining your leadership philosophy and the qualities you believe are necessary to lead effectively.

• Your leadership statement must be brief and easy to understand.
• It’s important to express your thoughts on the theory of leadership , and the traits and abilities you believe are necessary for success.
• Discuss your personal leadership experiences and how you’ve developed your own unique management style.

Here are some suggestions for writing a leadership statement that represents your values:

Share your experiences to help them understand your leadership style

Your leadership statement should contain your own leadership experiences .

• What obstacles have you overcome?
• What victories have you had?
• What have you learned?

Sharing your experiences can assist readers in understanding your leadership style and why you think it works.

“Leaders in the military and business have taught me that success involves vision, planning, and execution. I am continuously looking for new challenges and methods to strengthen my leadership skills. This attitude has aided my career and personal success.”

Share concrete examples that demonstrate your leadership ideas

Remember to be genuine and honest in your leadership statement. If you don’t agree with someone’s ideas or ideals, don’t write or avoid clichés and generalizations; instead, share concrete examples that demonstrate your leadership ideas.

“Leaders must constantly put their followers first. They should be open to hearing and understanding their problems. A smart leader knows that success requires a team dedicated to the same goal.”

CEO, Champion Leadership Group LLC

Analyze the characteristics that differentiate a successful leader

Prepare your leadership statement by analyzing the characteristics that differentiate a successful leader before you sit down and write.

Among these leadership traits and talents are:

• The willingness to encourage others
• Personal integrity
• The ability to place a high emphasis on interpersonal connections with team members

Are there any outstanding leadership characteristics you possess?

Here is one helpful tip on how to write a leadership statement:

A solid opening to a leadership statement is critical

This is where you grab the reader’s attention and set your writing out from the others— a personal narrative is the most significant way to go about this.

Consider the quality of leadership you’ve decided to emphasize. Is there a time when you displayed this trait in your life?

For instance, when writing on personal integrity, imagine a period when your integrity was put to the test while serving in a leadership position. For maximum effect, explain the incident in one or two sentences in dramatic detail to capture the reader’s attention.

Afterward, explain why this leadership quality is so crucial to you—this will serve as a bridge from the introduction to the body of your statement.

Jonathan R. Brockman

Trial Attorney, Jonathan R. Brockman, P.C.

Include your attitude and the attitude that you expect from your team

A vision or leadership statement is one that allows you to define yourself and your role when leading your team—it’s something that you can always look back to if you find yourself going through the motions and in need of reminding why you’re doing what you’re doing .

It is also something that I think is useful to provide for new or potential employees so that they can get a feel for your priorities.

The way you need to craft a leadership statement depends on you and your values: do you want to exemplify your goals or your values more?

Either way, you need to keep your statement concise , don’t mince your words, even if you’re trying to be poetic. You’ll want to include your attitude and the attitude that you expect from your team and how you’ll promote and encourage that attitude.

If you can squeeze all of this into 3-4 sentences , you’ll have a great vision statement.

Gerald Lombardo 

Co-Founder, The Word Counter

Your daily actions should reflect the qualities you added in your leadership statement

A powerful leadership statement highlights your internal understanding of why you’re doing what you’re doing. It’s intricately tied to your values , hopes , and worldview and is important because it’s what matters to you.

As the leader of an organization, your daily actions should reflect the qualities that you have included in a leadership statement.

The best way to begin crafting a leadership statement stems from a deep look into yourself as a leader. You need to think back on your own career as though you are retired and ask yourself questions such as:

• What do you want your peers to have said about you?
• How did you make your coworkers and subordinates feel on a daily basis?
• What are some goals you wish you accomplished?
• How would you have led your organization differently?

Ultimately, a leadership statement guides you during times of rapid change within your organization because it provides you with a course of action. It’s your roadmap to understanding how you define yourself as a leader.

By understanding why you’re doing what you’re doing as a leader, your team will take notice and feel confident in supporting your vision.

Travis Lindemoen

Managing Director, Nexus IT Group

Figure out how to be the best leader possible

One of the most critical aspects of leadership is establishing a group dynamic where everyone is working toward the same goal .

Self-reflection and divergent thinking are essential components of effective leadership. Every step of the way, a leader should keep an eye on the big picture while also acknowledging the small victories along the way.

Leadership does not equate to power, and the two are not synonymous. Leaders challenge themselves to take on the role of a change agent, challenge the status quo of business and society, and act as role models for others.

“ Aspiring to be that leader who can inspire and motivate others to lead healthy and balanced lives is something I strive for . In my presence, I hope to convey the impression that I care about establishing relationships with others and unquestionably lift them up, and inspire self-direction.

I intend to lead from the ground up to promote a positive work environment and establish my authority as a leader. Personal and socially responsible leadership is something I believe in, and I will constantly evaluate my attitude and actions to see if they are in line with this belief and ignite positive social change.

Leadership means valuing the contributions of others, including their perspectives, as well as what they can offer toward our common goal.

I will lead with concrete goals and clear communication among my followers as we work together to achieve our shared vision and leave a lasting impression on every person we come into contact with.”

Related: Top 7 Leading Traits of Good Leaders

Austin J. Franklin

CEO and Co-founder, Good-Natured Life

The statement should positively impact you and everyone you lead

A leadership statement is a personal mantra created to guide one’s leadership philosophy. This idea is similar to a company mission statement, except it abides only by you and your leadership style.

A leadership statement is essential because it holds you accountable and guides your decision-making.

For example, my leadership statement revolves around a few words:

“Make a positive difference & remain good-natured.”

These are core ideas that have helped me produce a successful enterprise. Focusing on making a positive difference and remaining good-natured affects how I lead staff, interact with customers, and develop services/products.

Regardless of the decisions needed to be made or conflicts that can arise, I can choose the right course of action by reflecting upon my personal leadership statement.

A leadership statement should be:

• The leadership statement should be easy to memorize.
• Understand what is needed to help you effectively lead your employees and organization.
• The leadership statement should guide you in every circumstance you face as a leader.

By following the three guidelines, you will be able to develop a strong leadership statement. This statement will positively impact you and everyone you lead, so create thoughtfully.

Daniel Cook

Director HR , Mullen and Mullen

Link your values and beliefs to the plans that you are proposing

You should brainstorm what you have to write about in your leadership statement.

Firstly, you need to note down your beliefs and values that shape your personality and can appeal to your audience as well. You need to think of characteristics that you might have that would encourage other people.

Secondly, to make your audience understand your personality, you can name your role models and what is their most inspiring trait that appeals to you.

Thirdly, try linking your values and beliefs to the plans or actions that you are proposing . Ensure that it is a direct link that people can easily understand.

Lastly, after explaining your expectations, you can discuss the expectations that you might have from your audience or the general public.

“In order to ensure your leadership is effective, you need to have open communication with everyone. Due to this, I would like to hear honest feedback from my employees.”

James Chapman

Operations Manager, BELLA Bathrooms

It should mention the leader’s actual game plan to materialize the goal

In a modern business setup, with more importance given to teamwork, the concept of leadership is seen as one of the most important aspects of business success.

Business owners and managers are expected to be strong leaders where they have a clear goal and accurate pathways to achieve them. In these situations, a leadership statement can help a business leader in proving his case to business success among his subordinates.

A leadership statement should clearly mention the leader’s vision, his role in the organization, his purpose to achieve his vision, and his actual game plan to materialize the goal.

At our company, we have a mission as a team to serve our customers with high-quality bathroom solutions through the e-commerce platform.

I would like to mention a quote from my leadership statement as an example :

“A low-cost bathroom can look fantastic if its good quality and a designer suite can look atrocious if you are paying for the name rather than the quality of the materials”.

CEO and Founder, Freedom Care

Your statement must be ideal

A leadership statement is a concise and definitive description of your values and goals as a leader, both in what you want to achieve and how you want to treat the people you lead.

Before writing your leadership statement, it is important to realize that your statement is your ideal. This means that on a day-to-day basis, you might slip up and treat people in a way that is not according to your statement.

This does not make you a hypocrite; it makes you human .

The purpose of a leadership statement is to orient you, your values, and your goals as a leader.

In your leadership statement, you should include your responsibilities to the people as a leader:

• What you believe you need to be for them,
• The overarching values that drive you,
• Your goals as a leader, and
• How all these things all come together to form an overall approach, attitude, and perspective.

“As a leader, it is my responsibility to ensure that every team member has the necessary tools and environment to succeed. I need to be approachable, professional, personable, and expressive. To foster a productive team, I need to express gratitude and trust.”

Magda Klimkiewicz

Senior HR Business Partner, Zety

Capture your purpose as a leader

Writing a leadership statement isn’t easy. To capture your core values and beliefs, goals, and purpose as a leader in a few simple sentences is a challenging task that requires a fair amount of thought, time, and self-discovery.

It might still be worth it, as an effective leadership statement can help you remain focused , prioritize , stay true to your purpose , and inspire others . This serves as a reminder about who you are as a leader.

An excellent way to determine who you want to be in the leadership role is to think about influential figures that made an impact throughout the history of business and the world. Do some research on leaders who inspire you and determine what motivates them and how they lead.

While I don’t advise copying or following their personal statements, it can be a helpful exercise to identify which of their core values, beliefs, and actions resonate with you the most. Build on that by deciding how they translate into your current role.

Here are two sample leadership statement examples:

• “I believe that innovation is what drives excellence. I will use positive feedback and encouragement to inspire my team to create revolutionary solutions to improve people’s lives.”
• “As a leader, I am committed to making our company a place of inclusion and equality. I will create a positive and supportive environment where employees can thrive and reach their fullest potential.”

Harriet Chan

Co-founder and Marketing Director, CocoFinder

Talk about what you believe makes you an effective leader

A good leadership statement can help you stand out from the crowd in a job application or interview. It can also be a valuable tool for developing your own personal leadership style.

The following tips will help you write a strong leadership statement.

• For example, “I led a team of 10 software engineers and successfully delivered a new software product on time and under budget.”
• For example, “I am passionate about delivering results, and I always put the needs of my team first. I am motivated by the challenge of solving difficult problems.”
• For example, “I led my team through a difficult merger and successfully integrated the two teams into one cohesive unit.”
• For example, “I was recently recognized as the top leader in my industry by The Wall Street Journal.”
• For example, “I am looking for an opportunity to lead a team and make a real impact on the world. I believe I have the potential to be an excellent leader, and I am excited to pursue my career aspirations.”

Yosun Allen

CEO, Yosun UV Printer

Statements made by leaders should have meaning

An organization’s activity should have a clear sense of direction if its mission statement is to accomplish that goal. In order to attract and encourage employees, an organization’s purpose statement must be clear and concise .

It’s easier for people to be motivated, devoted, and pleased if they have a purpose in their work.

A statement of leadership must be unambiguous

People in an organization will not be motivated unless they have a clear understanding of the goal. It’s best to keep it short and sweet.

Only the most important aspects of the organization should be highlighted, and nothing else should be. It’s easier for individuals to grasp how they can help when the goal is clear.

“Our vision is to be the earth’s most customer-centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.” — Amazon

Co-founder and CEO , Power

Be concise with the wording

The statement shouldn’t be too long, and the sentences should be short and crisp so that they are easy to understand.

So, for example, “I will create a casual working environment in which employees are allowed to conduct themselves in a fun manner so as to strengthen the team bonds and create a better culture for the company, all while encouraging efficiency in the performance of duties.”

You can say something like, “I aim to create a fun yet efficient working environment, with a strong focus on teamwork.”

It’s a lot simpler , and it will get the point across better.

Choose words that motivate and engage

You want your statement to inspire your employees in some way so that they are motivated and engaged, and the best way to do this is through the correct wording.

I recommend using words such as “ potential ,” “ success ,” “ development ,” “ growth ,” and similar. Basically, you want to give everything an air of positivity and career advancement.

Make sure you talk about things your employees care about

Talking about the company’s goals is all good, but you need to make it relevant to your employees. How are your goals and plans going to affect them? You must get them invested in success because a business only thrives through teamwork .

Related: 30+ Real Life Examples of Teamwork

Adam Crossling

Marketing Manager, Zenzero

Get to know the why of the company

To write your leadership vision statement, the first thing you need to do is figure out why a company is there. Overall, the answer to this question will help a leader see the future they want for their business.

It’s hard for people and businesses to say why they do what they do. Simon Sinek says this in his best-selling book, Start with Why . I mean your goal, cause, or belief when I say “ why ,” but you can also say “ what .”

We like leaders and groups that are good at telling us what they believe. One way they can inspire us is by making us feel like we belong, are safe, and not alone. When a leader explains why they do what they do, they get people who are loyal and want to help make their vision for the future come true.

Find out why you do what you do:

• How did you start the business or become a manager in the first place?
• Consider what kind of movement you want to start that leads to a better future.
• Getting to the heart of why your business should support your chosen cause or project.
• Reflecting on how your business can make people feel like they belong and are part of a group.
• Ideating about how your company’s purpose and your customers’ purpose might work together.

Theola Tinny

Co-Founder, VinPit

Be sure people understand what your organization stands for

Here are some tips that I keep in mind while drafting a compelling leadership statement.

• Be clear and straightforward. You want to be sure people understand what your organization stands for exactly.
• Make it personal. Your leadership statement should reflect who you are as a leader.
• Instead, use what you have already established in your organization, whether the values or mission statements.
• Make it creative . Consider including elements like to-dos , specials , or other helpful information that goes beyond just being about your business.
• Use action verbs. When writing your leadership statement, avoid using negative words like “don’t,” “don’t change,” and “don’t do this.”

“We will take the time to listen and understand one another, appreciate each other’s diverse backgrounds and beliefs, form friendships, and nurture them wherever they are found.”

Robin Antill

Director, Leisure Buildings

Outline objectives – they should be realistic and achievable within a given time frame

When a leader is crafting a statement, they should consider what goals they tend to achieve in the long run. Your goals as a leader should be specific , which means that they should be realistic and easy to achieve within a given time frame.

Once set, these objectives should be measured against time. This measure will help you determine your performance and identify any bottlenecks.

“I will develop a purpose-driven connection with my employees working in hybrid and remote environments. Through this measure, I aim to unlock the full potential of my team so that our business can voyage towards a journey of success.

I tend to incorporate the ideas of empathy and positivity at the workplace, which can help promote a culture of inclusivity.”

Tim Davidson

President, Car Title Loan Lenders

Make sure it has quantitative goals

It’s often good to have a list of goals you should and would like to attain as a leader when creating a leadership statement.

To get the most out of this section, use the SMART method to meet your objectives: Having defined and measurable goals makes it easier to concentrate on how to achieve them. It is impossible to attain your objectives if you cannot track your progress.

As a result, make sure your personal leadership statement has quantitative goals.

Your leadership statement will inevitably alter as you mature as a person and your goals shift. Because of this, you’ll need to update your statement over time to match your current objectives. To assist you in prioritizing your task, make sure your goal has a definite deadline.

“It is hard to reach the pinnacles of what the corporation can do without a solid team. As the leader, I will focus on establishing a good and healthy workplace culture that encourages everyone to reach their full potential.”

Annesha Basu

Chief Managing Officer, Stand Up Paddle Boards Review

You have to address what others are worried about in a leadership statement

A leadership statement has to inform and inspire equally . Self-assess and identify the core values that make you the leader you are.

Everyone has roughly the same goals; as a leader, there must have been something differently you’ve done that made you fit to lead. Identify the behaviors and traits that helped you get results.

You have to address what others are worried about in a leadership statement. This will change as your audience changes.

Understanding what your audience is worried about will help you know what to say. If you’re addressing:

• Beginners – you have to instill confidence in them and lay any fears they may have to rest.
• An experienced audience – your speech needs to be along the lines of growing expertise and income .

Omer Usanmaz

CEO and Co-Founder, Qooper Mentoring & Learning Software

Keep your statement inspiring, representing who you are as a leader

A leadership statement is a declaration of your beliefs and values as a leader. It can be used to introduce yourself to others or remind yourself of what you stand for when things get tough.

To write a leadership statement:

• Start by thinking about what you believe in and what values are important to you.
• Write down a few sentences that express your beliefs and values clearly and concisely.
• Keep your statement positive and inspiring , and make sure it represents who you are as a leader.

A leadership statement doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, a good example can be something as simple as the following:

“As a leader, I am always looking for ways to improve my team’s performance. Whether through coaching and mentoring or providing support and resources, I am committed to helping my team reach its goals.”

“I strive to create a positive and productive work environment where my team can thrive, so I always encourage open communication and feedback. This helps me maintain a clear understanding of my team’s needs.”

“I believe in setting clear expectations and providing regular feedback so that my team knows what is expected of them. I also recognize and reward good performance so that my team knows that their hard work is appreciated. “

Kimberly Silva

CEO, Find People First

Keep in mind what you want to convey

Effective leadership statement meets the needs of people who are reading it. It may contain elements that make the statement easy for a person to read, such as an example or personal story.

Writing a leadership statement is a job interview’s first impression. It’s essential to have a concise, compelling statement summarizing your leadership skills, interests, and accomplishments.

There are also times when a leadership statement emphasizes specific skills and abilities or provides information that is particularly relevant to the person reading it. To have a compelling statement, keep in mind what you want to convey , who you are talking to, and how you want to be perceived .

“Due to the success of my leadership at ABC Company, I have opportunities to head up new departments and lead diverse teams, from strategy and finance to customer service. I take calculated risks and work hard to ensure my team members can give 110% commitment.”

“I am a strong believer in developing my employees. I empower them to grow in their skills, take on more responsibility and contribute more broadly to the company.”

“I believe that people are the key to our success, and therefore it is my responsibility to create an environment where they can thrive. I’m a results-driven leader with a proven track record of developing and managing teams in the SaaS industry.”

“I have experience launching, managing, and marketing products, as well as designing and implementing pricing models. I have strong analytical skills, deep technical knowledge, and excellent interpersonal skills .”

Related: What are Interpersonal Skills & How to Improve Them

Steve Scott

Chief Technology Officer, Spreadsheet Planet

Develop a list of your fundamental principles and prioritize them

I would advise that before you go into drafting your statement, review a few sample personal statements and observe how the writers highlighted their leadership priorities and beliefs.

Most leaders have grandiose plans but fail to articulate why they aspire to accomplish their objectives. As a result, this lack of clarity impacts the leader and instills confusion throughout the business.

It is better to develop a list of all your fundamental principles and prioritize them.

Therefore, before creating your personal leadership statement, determine your fundamental goal as a leader to steer your employers in the appropriate route.

“Without a strong team, it is impossible to accomplish the organization’s full potential. As a leader, I will focus on establishing a good and healthy work culture that encourages everyone to reach their full potential.”

Daniel Foley

Marketing & SEO Specialist, Emma Sleep

Every statement represents your current aims and values

Remember that there are no wrong answers when creating a personal leadership statement.

Every statement is unique to each individual and represents your current aims and values. Your account would evolve, depending on your development and changing perspectives on leadership.

• Your attitude towards leadership

Another important aspect of your leadership statement is how you describe and see your role as a leader .

• Your behavior as a leader

With their values and demeanor, a good leader can guide others. As a result, these skills are critical in your actions to achieve your leadership objectives.

Even though the work may appear complicated, there are numerous leadership statement examples to refer to if you’re having trouble figuring out how to include these elements into your statement.

• Understanding your core purpose as a leader

Before writing your statement, look through some sample personal statements to see how other people have highlighted their leadership priorities and values.

It’s preferable to make a list that focuses on your key principles and then rank them in order of priority .

Most leaders have lofty plans, but they don’t explain why they want to achieve them. As a result, the lack of a defined purpose has an impact on the leader and confuses the business.

So, before you write your leadership statement, find out what you want to accomplish as a leader to steer your company in the right direction.

Karl Tippins

Editor-in-Chief, Age Holdings

Allow ideas to flow freely

My advice when crafting a leadership statement is to visualize the future.

Create a list of the essential components of your vision statement. To begin, grab a piece of paper or visit a whiteboard and jot down any terms that spring to mind when you consider the company’s future.

When brainstorming, avoid tailoring your thoughts; instead, allow ideas to flow freely. Dare to fantasize about achieving challenging goals as your firm expands.

Additionally, zero in on notions that strike a chord with you and attempt to picture the details. The more precise the visualization of your dreams, the stronger the flashlight that will guide you in the proper direction.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should i update my leadership statement .

Your leadership statement should reflect your current goals and values as a leader. As you gain new experiences and insights, it’s important to review and update your statement so that it accurately reflects your evolving leadership philosophy.

As a general rule of thumb, you should review and update your leadership statement at least once a year. However, you may also want to update it more frequently if your role changes significantly or you reach important milestones.

By keeping your statement up to date, you can ensure that it remains relevant and meaningful to support your leadership decisions and inspire others.

What should I do if I’m struggling to write my leadership statement?

Break it down:   Try tackling your leadership statement into smaller parts to make it more manageable.

Use a framework:   A “ What, How, Why ” framework can help you organize your thoughts and capture all the critical aspects of your leadership style.

Solicit feedback:   Share your explanation with colleagues, mentors, or friends and consider their suggestions for improvement.

Be authentic:   Write from the heart and stay true to yourself to build trust and credibility as a leader. Seek help when needed:  Consider working with a professional writing or coaching service for guidance and support.

Reflect on your leadership experiences:   Think about your successes and failures, strengths and weaknesses, and the values and principles that guide your leadership style.

Should my leadership statement focus on short-term or long-term goals?

The answer to whether your leadership statement should focus on short-term or long-term goals isn’t black and white. It depends on several factors in which you write your statement and your leadership style.

Here are some things you should consider:

Context:  Your leadership statement should be tailored to the context in which you’re writing it. If you’re applying for a new job, you should focus more on short-term goals and show that you can make an immediate impact.

If you’re writing your statement for an established team or organization, you should focus more on long-term goals that align with the company’s vision and values.

Leadership style:  Some leaders focus on quick wins and immediate improvements, while others take a more strategic and long-term view. Your statement should reflect your unique leadership style and values.

Balance:  Your statement should strike a balance between the two. It’s essential to have a clear vision for the future, but it’s also important to address the immediate needs of your team or organization. Set specific short- and long-term goals that align with your leadership vision and values.

Flexibility:  As a leader, being flexible and adaptable is important. While it’s important to have goals and a clear vision, circumstances can change quickly. Ensure that your statement allows for adjustments to short-term and long-term goals.

By considering these factors, you can create a statement that effectively communicates your leadership philosophy and inspires others to follow your lead.

How can I tailor my leadership statement to a specific audience?

To tailor your leadership statement to a specific audience, first consider who it’s intended for. Consider what values or goals are important to this group and sense how your message may resonate with them.

You may need to adjust the language or tone of your statement to better appeal to the target audience.

For example, if you’re speaking to a team of engineers, you may want to focus on technical or problem-solving skills in your leadership statement. If you’re speaking to a board of directors, you might want to emphasize financial results or strategic planning.

Also, consider using examples or stories that are relevant to your audience. This can help make your message more vivid and memorable.

What is effective leadership, in simple words?

Effective leadership is the ability to inspire and motivate others toward a common goal. This includes setting a clear direction and vision, communicating effectively, and creating a positive and inclusive work environment.

Effective leaders lead by example and empower others to contribute to the success of the team or organization. They demonstrate empathy, respect, and integrity in their actions and decisions.

In simple words, effective leadership means bringing out the best in others and achieving success through collaboration and shared values.

Can anyone write a leadership statement?

Yes, anyone can write a leadership statement. A leadership statement is a personal reflection of your values, beliefs, and vision as a leader. No special qualifications or training are required to write them.

However, writing an effective leadership statement that truly inspires and motivates others requires some practice and self-reflection. It’s essential to take the time to understand your values and goals and how they align with those of your organization.

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25 Thesis Statement Examples

A thesis statement is needed in an essay or dissertation . There are multiple types of thesis statements – but generally we can divide them into expository and argumentative. An expository statement is a statement of fact (common in expository essays and process essays) while an argumentative statement is a statement of opinion (common in argumentative essays and dissertations). Below are examples of each.

Strong Thesis Statement Examples

1. School Uniforms

“Mandatory school uniforms should be implemented in educational institutions as they promote a sense of equality, reduce distractions, and foster a focused and professional learning environment.”

Best For: Argumentative Essay or Debate

Read More: School Uniforms Pros and Cons

2. Nature vs Nurture

“This essay will explore how both genetic inheritance and environmental factors equally contribute to shaping human behavior and personality.”

Best For: Compare and Contrast Essay

Read More: Nature vs Nurture Debate

3. American Dream

“The American Dream, a symbol of opportunity and success, is increasingly elusive in today’s socio-economic landscape, revealing deeper inequalities in society.”

Best For: Persuasive Essay

Read More: What is the American Dream?

4. Social Media

“Social media has revolutionized communication and societal interactions, but it also presents significant challenges related to privacy, mental health, and misinformation.”

Best For: Expository Essay

Read More: The Pros and Cons of Social Media

5. Globalization

“Globalization has created a world more interconnected than ever before, yet it also amplifies economic disparities and cultural homogenization.”

Read More: Globalization Pros and Cons

6. Urbanization

“Urbanization drives economic growth and social development, but it also poses unique challenges in sustainability and quality of life.”

Read More: Learn about Urbanization

7. Immigration

“Immigration enriches receiving countries culturally and economically, outweighing any perceived social or economic burdens.”

Read More: Immigration Pros and Cons

8. Cultural Identity

“In a globalized world, maintaining distinct cultural identities is crucial for preserving cultural diversity and fostering global understanding, despite the challenges of assimilation and homogenization.”

Best For: Argumentative Essay

Read More: Learn about Cultural Identity

9. Technology

“Medical technologies in care institutions in Toronto has increased subjcetive outcomes for patients with chronic pain.”

Best For: Research Paper

10. Capitalism vs Socialism

“The debate between capitalism and socialism centers on balancing economic freedom and inequality, each presenting distinct approaches to resource distribution and social welfare.”

11. Cultural Heritage

“The preservation of cultural heritage is essential, not only for cultural identity but also for educating future generations, outweighing the arguments for modernization and commercialization.”

12. Pseudoscience

“Pseudoscience, characterized by a lack of empirical support, continues to influence public perception and decision-making, often at the expense of scientific credibility.”

Read More: Examples of Pseudoscience

13. Free Will

“The concept of free will is largely an illusion, with human behavior and decisions predominantly determined by biological and environmental factors.”

Read More: Do we have Free Will?

14. Gender Roles

“Traditional gender roles are outdated and harmful, restricting individual freedoms and perpetuating gender inequalities in modern society.”

Read More: What are Traditional Gender Roles?

15. Work-Life Ballance

“The trend to online and distance work in the 2020s led to improved subjective feelings of work-life balance but simultaneously increased self-reported loneliness.”

Read More: Work-Life Balance Examples

16. Universal Healthcare

“Universal healthcare is a fundamental human right and the most effective system for ensuring health equity and societal well-being, outweighing concerns about government involvement and costs.”

Read More: The Pros and Cons of Universal Healthcare

17. Minimum Wage

“The implementation of a fair minimum wage is vital for reducing economic inequality, yet it is often contentious due to its potential impact on businesses and employment rates.”

Read More: The Pros and Cons of Raising the Minimum Wage

18. Homework

“The homework provided throughout this semester has enabled me to achieve greater self-reflection, identify gaps in my knowledge, and reinforce those gaps through spaced repetition.”

Best For: Reflective Essay

Read More: Reasons Homework Should be Banned

19. Charter Schools

“Charter schools offer alternatives to traditional public education, promising innovation and choice but also raising questions about accountability and educational equity.”

Read More: The Pros and Cons of Charter Schools

20. Effects of the Internet

“The Internet has drastically reshaped human communication, access to information, and societal dynamics, generally with a net positive effect on society.”

Read More: The Pros and Cons of the Internet

21. Affirmative Action

“Affirmative action is essential for rectifying historical injustices and achieving true meritocracy in education and employment, contrary to claims of reverse discrimination.”

Best For: Essay

Read More: Affirmative Action Pros and Cons

22. Soft Skills

“Soft skills, such as communication and empathy, are increasingly recognized as essential for success in the modern workforce, and therefore should be a strong focus at school and university level.”

Read More: Soft Skills Examples

23. Moral Panic

“Moral panic, often fueled by media and cultural anxieties, can lead to exaggerated societal responses that sometimes overlook rational analysis and evidence.”

Read More: Moral Panic Examples

24. Freedom of the Press

“Freedom of the press is critical for democracy and informed citizenship, yet it faces challenges from censorship, media bias, and the proliferation of misinformation.”

Read More: Freedom of the Press Examples

25. Mass Media

“Mass media shapes public opinion and cultural norms, but its concentration of ownership and commercial interests raise concerns about bias and the quality of information.”

Best For: Critical Analysis

Read More: Mass Media Examples

Checklist: How to use your Thesis Statement

✅ Position: If your statement is for an argumentative or persuasive essay, or a dissertation, ensure it takes a clear stance on the topic. ✅ Specificity: It addresses a specific aspect of the topic, providing focus for the essay. ✅ Conciseness: Typically, a thesis statement is one to two sentences long. It should be concise, clear, and easily identifiable. ✅ Direction: The thesis statement guides the direction of the essay, providing a roadmap for the argument, narrative, or explanation. ✅ Evidence-based: While the thesis statement itself doesn’t include evidence, it sets up an argument that can be supported with evidence in the body of the essay. ✅ Placement: Generally, the thesis statement is placed at the end of the introduction of an essay.

Try These AI Prompts – Thesis Statement Generator!

One way to brainstorm thesis statements is to get AI to brainstorm some for you! Try this AI prompt:

💡 AI PROMPT FOR EXPOSITORY THESIS STATEMENT I am writing an essay on [TOPIC] and these are the instructions my teacher gave me: [INSTUCTIONS]. I want you to create an expository thesis statement that doesn’t argue a position, but demonstrates depth of knowledge about the topic.

💡 AI PROMPT FOR ARGUMENTATIVE THESIS STATEMENT I am writing an essay on [TOPIC] and these are the instructions my teacher gave me: [INSTRUCTIONS]. I want you to create an argumentative thesis statement that clearly takes a position on this issue.

💡 AI PROMPT FOR COMPARE AND CONTRAST THESIS STATEMENT I am writing a compare and contrast essay that compares [Concept 1] and [Concept2]. Give me 5 potential single-sentence thesis statements that remain objective.

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ The Six Principles of Andragogy (Malcolm Knowles)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ What are Pedagogical Skills? - 15 Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 44 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory (Pros & Cons)

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Leadership Essay

27 August, 2020

12 minutes read

Author:  Richard Pircher

As a college student, you must write essays on a regular basis since the latter is one of the most common types of home assignments. All this means is that in order to get good grades and be successful with writing the papers, you need to have a sound understanding of the structure. Additionally, what you should never neglect is the variety of essay types. Indeed, your essay will significantly differ from one type to another: description essay will most likely have a structure that is slightly different from an argumentative one.

What you may have already encountered in your academic life is the work on a leadership essay. Although it sounds pretty complicated and vague, it is mostly possible to master an essay on leadership. Below is a guide for you to get an insight into this particular essay type.

What is a good leadership essay?

A good leadership essay is the one in which the essay writer has fully covered the topic of leadership and understood its core ideas. More specifically, to end up with a flawless leadership essay, you will need to indicate what makes a person a good leader. For achieving the latter, you will most likely need to conduct research and trace how a particular person reaches his or her goals. In other words, the task is to discover which actions the person undertakes, what their followers say about him or her, and how the person organizes the work. So, a leadership essay implies providing real-life success examples and further revealing them.

Above all, a good leadership essay is the one that follows a precise, clear, comprehensive structure. Structuring your essay about leadership in the most coherent way leads to a win-win situation: you have fewer troubles and barriers to writing a brilliant essay, and your teacher is able to comprehend the essay easily. This guide is what you will need to refer to to get an insight into how the flawless structure for a leadership essay looks like and how it will let you take a benefit.

How to write a Leadership essay?

To write a leadership essay that stands out, you first need to brainstorm all the ideas that you have and come up with a topic for your essay. If you are struggling with this step, you may think of some of the most influential people, read about them, and find out what makes them unique. Or, you can pick any topic which is mentioned at the end of this article. After you have chosen an issue, it is time to structure your essay appropriately.

As you already know, an essay constitutes three essential sections: introduction, main body, and conclusion. Below is the more detailed description of each of the parts.

Introduction

Of course, your leadership essay introduction will always vary depending on the topic of the essay. However, you can always begin by stating your vision of leadership regardless of the topic. Additionally, to motivate the reader and instantly catch his or her attention, you may use a quote of a famous leader, or simply a quote which you find relevant to the topic. Be aware that you should avoid outlining the essence and the role of the leadership in your introduction; leave it for the body paragraphs.

What you may also do in your leadership essay is ask a question, which will most likely intrigue the leader. Or it will at least give your reader an overview of what you will dwell on  in your essay.

Body Paragraphs

You will need to divide the main body into 3-5 paragraphs to make the structure more comprehensive. What you have to do at this point  is  give your reader a sound understanding of your ideas. Therefore, try to fit each idea in a single body paragraph so that you do not confuse your reader. Do not hesitate to indicate your examples to strengthen your arguments. For instance, you may explain a fact that makes a particular person you are writing about a real leader.

Also, always stick to your thesis statement and don’t forget that the body paragraphs should reveal the parts of your thesis statement.

As you may already know, you need to restate your opinion and briefly summarize all the points from the main body in conclusion. For instance, if you wrote your essay on qualities of an effective leader, state the most fundamental qualities and indicate why they matter the most. Besides, try not to copy what you have already written in the body – it is better to restate your opinion using different words. And, of course, beware adding any new and extra information; indicate only those points that you have already outlined in the text. Finally, keep in mind that it is always favorable to keep your concluding remarks short.

Leadership Essay Examples

Writing a leadership essay requires some research and time. In case you feel the necessity to go through an essay example, below is a leadership essay sample you can refer to.

Is leadership an inborn or an acquired feature?

Is everyone capable of becoming a leader, or is this ability innate? A lot of researchers have been struggling to answer this question. One assumption about leadership implies that the leader is the person who possesses particular characteristics. Another assumption claims that leaders are capable of acquiring specific features over their life span. As the evidence shows, leaders own many features that distinguish them among others and make more and more people become their followers. These might be cognitive abilities, psychological traits, professional qualities, and a lot more, and all of them will be either acquired or innate. Based on the importance of leadership qualities, such as commitment, stress resistance, and the ability to make quality decisions, it is reasonable to claim that leaders are made, not born. 

One can deem commitment as one of the top fundamental qualities of the leader. In essence, such a feature indicates that a person is passionate about the common goal, strives to be a team player, and makes every effort to reach a shared goal. As the history shows, none of the successful companies was uncoordinated by an influential, committed leader: Apple, Amazon, Microsoft – all of these companies are examples of dominant teams led by a dedicated leader. A committed leader also inspires his or her team to achieve common goals and put more effort into the shared activity. Besides, commitment is unlikely to be an innate feature; it instead comes with experience. This is so, since commitment implies dedicating oneself to the shared task, and one can reach it only via learning and continuous self-improvement.

Stress resistance is another incredibly important feature that every good leader should possess. This is because only a stress-resistant leader has sufficient capabilities to overcome any complexity and not let the anxiety and stress prevent him or her from making proper decisions. Besides, such a leader will most likely have a positive influence on the team, as long as leading by example will motivate the team members to attain the same emotional stability. What is so far familiar about stress resistance as an effective leader’s feature is that it can be either innate or attained. However, although some researchers admit that emotional stability is something one is born with, it is not entirely true; many people still put a great effort into self-improvement, changing the attitude to unfortunate situations, and so on. Therefore, being resistant to stress can be mostly attributed to a personality.

An ability to make high-quality decisions most likely determines the chances for an enterprise’s success. In particular, such quality is incredibly fundamental for a company of any size and professional orientation. Additionally, it is one of the top tasks of a good leader to make final decisions. What he or she should do implies brainstorming, discussing various opinions in the group, making forecasts, analyzing all the pros and cons. However, the leader is the one to make a final decision. Thereby, he is in charge of researching the market, discovering all the hidden truths, and analyzing the organization’s potential and capabilities to result in the most effective decision. As it flows logically from the latter, an ability to make sound quality decisions is purely a professional quality. This leads to the conclusion that one has to work hard to become a genuine leader and master the skill of making effective decisions. 

Overall, the leader may possess a multitude of different skills and master them perfectly. However, what has so far become transparent is that any leader, regardless of which team he leads, must possess three essential qualities. These qualities are commitment to the common goal, ability to handle and resist stress, and, finally, an ability to make effective decisions. All of the three qualities are most likely to be acquired over a lifetime. The statement below leads to the conclusion that even though some qualities can be innate, most are not the ones that leaders are born with. Hence, this answers an essential question: leadership feature is acquired, and not necessarily inborn.  

20 leadership essay topics

When coming up with your next leadership essay topic, it is imperative to brainstorm ideas and think of what leadership might be related to. If you are struggling with a topic of the importance of leadership essay or any relevant type of essay, you may quickly take a look at some of the possible topics we prepared for you:

• What are the main qualities of the leader?
• Successful Time Management as a feature of an effective leader
• The role that rhetoric plays in leadership
• The most exceptional leader in the history of the 20-th century
• The role of female leadership
• What are the challenges of the leader of the 21-st century?
• How college helps students develop leadership skills?
• Qualities of the leader that motivate people to follow them 
• Top things to avoid doing to become a team leader
• Examples of effective and ineffective leadership in the history
• Top techniques for developing leadership skills
• The interconnection of creativity and leadership 
• Is a university’s role fundamental in developing leadership skills?
• Dictatorship as an anti-example of leadership
• Liberal vs Authoritative leadership: which one works better?
• The influence of the leader’s role model on the followers’ mindset
• Main difficulties that the new leader may face in a new team
• Leadership of today vs leadership of the past: what has changed?
• Reasons why I want to become a member if the leadership program
• The role of cognitive abilities for the leader 

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A Professional Guide to Writing an Inspiring Leadership Essay

Quick Navigation

• 1. Leadership Essay – What it Means?
• 2. What Makes a Good Leadership Essay?
• 3. Topics You Can Explore for Writing Leadership Essays
• 4. How to Write a Leadership Essay – Pre-Writing Stage
• 5.1 Introduction
• 5.3 Conclusion
• 6. Leadership Essay Topic Ideas
• 7. Write an Essay That Inspires!

The power of leadership stems from its ability to make an impact on people, earn respect, and put words into action. As a result, students in schools and universities are often tasked with writing leadership essays to recognize the importance of leadership in both personal and professional realms. This assignment not only helps improve writing skills but also challenges critical thinking abilities by encouraging reflection on personal experiences or evaluating the leadership qualities and styles of prominent figures.

This leadership essay writing guide offers suggestions and tips for mastering the craft of leadership essay writing, including focusing on essay structure, clarity of arguments, and content quality. Additionally, this guide provides appealing essay ideas, topic choices, an outline example, and other resources to assist in crafting a thoughtful leadership essay. In case you have no time to write your essay, you can give us a nudge by saying ‘ write my essay ‘ and get well-researched authentic papers crafted by our accomplished writers on any topic.

Leadership Essay – What it Means?

A leadership essay is a type of academic or personal writing that focuses on analyzing, evaluating, or discussing the concept of leadership, its various styles and theories, and the qualities and characteristics of effective leaders. The purpose of a leadership essay may vary depending on the assignment or context, but it typically aims to provide insights into leadership, its importance in organizations and society, and its impact on personal and professional development. A leadership essay may also require the writer to reflect on their own experiences as a leader or evaluate the leadership qualities and style of a prominent leader.

To write a perfect essay on leadership, the writer must define and apply the main concepts of leadership to real-life situations. This involves researching the history of the term and the various leadership styles employed worldwide. The essay must also evaluate the researched information and its application to human behavior and attitudes. Personal strengths and weaknesses in communication and daily interactions with others should be assessed. This format is commonly required for entering a business administration major in college, with the goal being to understand personal traits as a leader and explain them in writing. Remember, the key to writing a good leadership essay is to write about something that will inspire your readers.

What Makes a Good Leadership Essay?

A good leadership essay should have a clear and concise thesis statement that outlines the main argument of the essay. It should also provide relevant and credible evidence to support the argument, such as real-life examples and data. The essay should be well-organized, with a logical structure that guides the reader through the argument.

In addition, a good leadership essay should demonstrate the writer’s critical thinking skills and ability to analyze and evaluate information. The essay should also showcase the writer’s writing skills, including their ability to use appropriate language, grammar, and style.

Finally, a good leadership essay should offer insights and perspectives that are unique and thought-provoking. It should encourage the reader to think more deeply about the concept of leadership and its significance in personal and professional contexts.

Topics You Can Explore for Writing Leadership Essays

A leadership essay can cover a wide range of topics related to leadership. Here are some examples of potential topics:

• Leadership styles and theories: Explore the different styles and theories of leadership, such as transformational, situational, autocratic, and democratic leadership, and discuss their strengths and weaknesses.
• Qualities of effective leaders: Discuss the key qualities and characteristics that make an effective leader, such as integrity, empathy, vision, communication, and decision-making abilities.
• Diversity and inclusion in leadership: Discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion in leadership, and analyze the impact that inclusive leadership can have on organizational culture, productivity, and innovation.
• Leadership and ethics: Analyze the relationship between leadership and ethics, and discuss the importance of ethical leadership in creating a positive impact on society.
• Women in leadership: Discuss the challenges that women face in leadership roles and analyze the impact that increasing gender diversity in leadership can have on organizations and society.
• Leadership and innovation: Analyze the role of leadership in promoting innovation and discuss the qualities that effective leaders possess to foster a culture of innovation.
• The role of leadership in change management: Discuss the importance of leadership in managing change within an organization, and analyze the strategies that leaders can use to effectively implement change.

These are just a few examples of potential topics for a leadership essay. Depending on your interests and experiences, you can choose a topic that resonates with you and allows you to showcase your knowledge and insights on leadership. Additionally, you can talk about your personal experience in your leadership essay. Here are some examples of how you can do that:

• Using personal experiences to illustrate your points: Here you can discuss how personal experiences can be used to illustrate key points in your essay. For example, if you are writing about the importance of effective communication in leadership, you can draw on a personal experience where you witnessed or demonstrated effective communication skills.
• Reflecting on what you have learned about leadership from your experiences: You can talk about the importance of reflecting on what you have learned about leadership from your personal experiences. For example, if you are writing about the qualities of an effective leader, you can reflect on how your own experiences have taught you the importance of those qualities.
• Tying personal experiences back to the broader topic and argument of your essay: In this section, you can discuss how to ensure that your personal experiences are tied back to the broader topic and argument of your essay. For example, if you are writing about the role of leadership in promoting diversity and inclusion, you can use personal experience to illustrate how a leader’s actions can impact diversity and inclusion in the workplace or society.

Whether you need a hand with writing a critical essay or a thematic essay, let us know and we will assist you.

How to Write a Leadership Essay – Pre-Writing Stage

The first step in composing a leadership essay is to understand what leadership means. Leadership can be defined as the ability to influence others toward a common goal. A leader is someone who inspires, motivates, and guides others toward achieving success.

Step 1: Define Good Leadership

Before beginning to write an essay online , take a moment to contemplate the defining characteristics of exceptional leadership. Consider the essential and impactful qualities of a great leader, such as the ability to inspire and motivate others, lead by example, and possess integrity, empathy, accountability, responsibility, humility, resilience, vision, influence, and optimism. If you are writing about yourself, reflect on your qualities as a leader. On the other hand, if you are writing about a prominent leader, conduct thorough research on the individual to gain insight into what makes them a great leader and why they are so effective in their role. Additionally, when writing about a successful leader, be sure to analyze the various leadership styles they employ.

Step 2: Select an Inspiring Topic

The key factor in creating a good leadership essay lies in selecting an appropriate topic. If you are writing a biography of a successful and prominent leader, it is crucial to focus on their leadership qualities and on what makes them an effective leader. The topic should align with the objectives of the essay and highlight your writing strengths. Conducting thorough research and reflecting on your leadership traits can help you identify a suitable topic.

To make your essay more compelling, you can compare and contrast different leadership styles, such as authoritarian and democratic approaches. It is essential to choose a topic that emphasizes the importance and relevance of your essay. The essay should also focus on practical strategies that can be applied in real-life situations to develop effective leadership skills. Providing examples of how your essay can be used to support future practice and study can also be beneficial.

Step 3: Researching Your Topic

Once you have chosen your topic, the next step is to research it thoroughly. This will help you to develop a deeper understanding of the subject and to identify key ideas and arguments that you can include in your essay.

• Determine your research question: Before conducting research, it’s essential to determine your research question. This will help to focus your research and ensure that you gather the information that is relevant to your essay topic. Your research question should be specific, clear, and concise.
• Use credible sources: You can research your topic by reading books, articles, and other relevant sources, as well as by conducting interviews with experts in the field.
• Consider multiple perspectives: When conducting research, consider multiple perspectives. This will help to provide a balanced view of your topic and ensure that you consider different opinions and viewpoints.
• Take notes: Take notes while conducting research. This will help to keep track of the information you gather and ensure that you don’t forget any critical points.
• Organize your research materials: It’s essential to organize your research materials to make it easier to access and use the information you gather. Some effective strategies for organizing research materials include creating an annotated bibliography or using a citation manager like Zotero or EndNote.
• Review and analyze your research: After gathering your research materials, review and analyze the information. Identify key themes, arguments, and evidence that support your essay’s main points.

Step 4: Create an Outline and Write the First Draft

Once you have gathered your research materials, it’s time to organize them in the form of an essay outline . To organize your thoughts and prepare for writing your leadership essay, it’s essential to create an outline. This involves summarizing and arranging all the information you’ve gathered into an organized structure that will guide your writing. The essay can follow a standard five-paragraph format or have additional body paragraphs as required. The outline should include the following sections:

• Introduction: Start with a hook to capture the reader’s interest and provide a clear thesis statement that highlights the main argument you’ll discuss in the essay.
• Body paragraphs: Include three to four paragraphs, each presenting a unique perspective that supports your argument. Use examples, evidence, statistics, anecdotes, and other supporting details to connect each paragraph to the thesis statement.
• Conclusion: Wrap it up by summarizing the key points discussed, reiterate the thesis statement, and with a strong statement that reinforces your opinion on what good leadership is and the importance of developing leadership skills.

Once you have organized your thoughts into an outline, you can begin writing your essay. In the next section, we have provided a thorough structure and an idea of how to write the introduction, body, and conclusion of a leadership essay.

Step 5: Editing and Proofreading

Once you have written your essay adhering to the outline, the next step is to edit and proofread it. This involves reviewing your essay for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors, as well as for clarity and coherence.

Crafting a Leadership Essay – Complete Structure

Introduction.

• The introduction of a leadership essay is critical as it sets the tone for the entire paper and establishes the reader’s expectations. To make it engaging and persuasive, a hook sentence is essential. The first two sentences of the introduction should demonstrate the quality of the content and captivate the reader’s attention. It’s crucial to personalize the text by connecting it to your knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Incorporating a story in the introduction can also pique the reader’s interest by providing a background that will be further explored in the body paragraphs of the essay.
• If you are wondering how to title an essay , keep in mind to choose a title that is both attention-grabbing and informative. You may include a hook phrase that accurately reflects the content and avoid clichés.
• The introduction of a leadership essay should provide background information on the topic and set the stage for the rest of the essay. One way to do this is by providing a brief history of leadership and its evolution over time. This can help the reader understand how leadership has changed and developed, and how it is viewed in different contexts and cultures.
• The thesis statement in a leadership essay introduction should clearly state the main point or argument that will be discussed in the essay. It should be concise and specific, providing a roadmap for the reader to understand what the essay will cover.
• Example of a hook statement in a leadership essay:

Quotation hook: As John C. Maxwell once said, “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”

Interesting Fact Hook: Did you know that Martin Luther King Jr. was only 26 years old when he led the Montgomery Bus Boycott and became one of the most iconic leaders of the civil rights movement?

Statistic Hook: According to a recent study, companies with a gender-diverse leadership team are 21% more likely to outperform their peers in profitability.

• Background information on leadership:

The study of leadership and its evolution can be traced back to the ancient philosopher Socrates, but it wasn’t until the 1930s that scientists began delving deeper into its development and impact.

• Thesis statement example for a leadership essay:

“Effective leadership requires a combination of personal qualities, such as integrity and empathy, and practical skills, such as communication and decision-making, to inspire and guide individuals towards a common goal.”

This thesis statement sets up the argument that leadership is a multifaceted concept that involves both personal and practical elements.

The body paragraphs of a leadership essay should contain the main arguments or points that support the thesis statement. Each paragraph should focus on a single idea and provide evidence, examples, facts, or statistics to support the argument. It is important to organize the body of the essay logically and clearly, such as through chronological order, cause and effect, or problem and solution.

Some possible topics for the body of a leadership essay could include discussing different leadership styles, examining the qualities of effective leaders, exploring the challenges of leadership, or analyzing a specific leader and their impact on their organization or society. Discuss respective topic sentences in individual paragraphs along with supporting statements and evidence and make sure to stick to the thesis statement.

The conclusion paragraph of a leadership essay should effectively summarize the main points of the essay and restate the thesis statement in a different way. It should also provide a final thought or message to the reader, leaving them with a lasting impression. The conclusion can also include a call to action, encouraging the reader to apply the leadership principles discussed in the essay to their own life or work. Additionally, it can suggest areas for further research or discussion on the topic of leadership. A well-written conclusion should leave the reader feeling satisfied and informed, with a clear understanding of the importance of good leadership.

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Leadership Essay Topic Ideas

Some various topics and sub-topics fall under the broad subject of leadership. If you are looking for some inspiration for your leadership essay, then here are some brilliant ideas that are worth exploring:

• Authentic Leadership: What it Means and Why it Matters
• A Comparative Analysis of Leadership Styles: Democratic vs. Authoritarian Leadership
• Servant Leadership: A Model for Effective Leadership in Modern Organizations
• The Importance of emotional intelligence in effective leadership
• The Impact of Leadership on organizational culture and employee satisfaction
• The challenges of ethical leadership in modern organizations
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• Overcoming Adversity: Lessons from Great Leaders Who Have Faced Challenges
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• The Role of Effective Communication in Leadership
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• Contemporary Issues in Management: Gender and Leadership
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Writing a Paper: Thesis Statements

Basics of thesis statements.

The thesis statement is the brief articulation of your paper's central argument and purpose. You might hear it referred to as simply a "thesis." Every scholarly paper should have a thesis statement, and strong thesis statements are concise, specific, and arguable. Concise means the thesis is short: perhaps one or two sentences for a shorter paper. Specific means the thesis deals with a narrow and focused topic, appropriate to the paper's length. Arguable means that a scholar in your field could disagree (or perhaps already has!).

Strong thesis statements address specific intellectual questions, have clear positions, and use a structure that reflects the overall structure of the paper. Read on to learn more about constructing a strong thesis statement.

Being Specific

This thesis statement has no specific argument:

Needs Improvement: In this essay, I will examine two scholarly articles to find similarities and differences.

This statement is concise, but it is neither specific nor arguable—a reader might wonder, "Which scholarly articles? What is the topic of this paper? What field is the author writing in?" Additionally, the purpose of the paper—to "examine…to find similarities and differences" is not of a scholarly level. Identifying similarities and differences is a good first step, but strong academic argument goes further, analyzing what those similarities and differences might mean or imply.

Better: In this essay, I will argue that Bowler's (2003) autocratic management style, when coupled with Smith's (2007) theory of social cognition, can reduce the expenses associated with employee turnover.

The new revision here is still concise, as well as specific and arguable.  We can see that it is specific because the writer is mentioning (a) concrete ideas and (b) exact authors.  We can also gather the field (business) and the topic (management and employee turnover). The statement is arguable because the student goes beyond merely comparing; he or she draws conclusions from that comparison ("can reduce the expenses associated with employee turnover").

Making a Unique Argument

This thesis draft repeats the language of the writing prompt without making a unique argument:

Needs Improvement: The purpose of this essay is to monitor, assess, and evaluate an educational program for its strengths and weaknesses. Then, I will provide suggestions for improvement.

You can see here that the student has simply stated the paper's assignment, without articulating specifically how he or she will address it. The student can correct this error simply by phrasing the thesis statement as a specific answer to the assignment prompt.

Better: Through a series of student interviews, I found that Kennedy High School's antibullying program was ineffective. In order to address issues of conflict between students, I argue that Kennedy High School should embrace policies outlined by the California Department of Education (2010).

Words like "ineffective" and "argue" show here that the student has clearly thought through the assignment and analyzed the material; he or she is putting forth a specific and debatable position. The concrete information ("student interviews," "antibullying") further prepares the reader for the body of the paper and demonstrates how the student has addressed the assignment prompt without just restating that language.

Creating a Debate

This thesis statement includes only obvious fact or plot summary instead of argument:

Needs Improvement: Leadership is an important quality in nurse educators.

A good strategy to determine if your thesis statement is too broad (and therefore, not arguable) is to ask yourself, "Would a scholar in my field disagree with this point?" Here, we can see easily that no scholar is likely to argue that leadership is an unimportant quality in nurse educators.  The student needs to come up with a more arguable claim, and probably a narrower one; remember that a short paper needs a more focused topic than a dissertation.

Better: Roderick's (2009) theory of participatory leadership  is particularly appropriate to nurse educators working within the emergency medicine field, where students benefit most from collegial and kinesthetic learning.

Here, the student has identified a particular type of leadership ("participatory leadership"), narrowing the topic, and has made an arguable claim (this type of leadership is "appropriate" to a specific type of nurse educator). Conceivably, a scholar in the nursing field might disagree with this approach. The student's paper can now proceed, providing specific pieces of evidence to support the arguable central claim.

Choosing the Right Words

This thesis statement uses large or scholarly-sounding words that have no real substance:

Needs Improvement: Scholars should work to seize metacognitive outcomes by harnessing discipline-based networks to empower collaborative infrastructures.

There are many words in this sentence that may be buzzwords in the student's field or key terms taken from other texts, but together they do not communicate a clear, specific meaning. Sometimes students think scholarly writing means constructing complex sentences using special language, but actually it's usually a stronger choice to write clear, simple sentences. When in doubt, remember that your ideas should be complex, not your sentence structure.

Better: Ecologists should work to educate the U.S. public on conservation methods by making use of local and national green organizations to create a widespread communication plan.

Notice in the revision that the field is now clear (ecology), and the language has been made much more field-specific ("conservation methods," "green organizations"), so the reader is able to see concretely the ideas the student is communicating.

Leaving Room for Discussion

This thesis statement is not capable of development or advancement in the paper:

Needs Improvement: There are always alternatives to illegal drug use.

This sample thesis statement makes a claim, but it is not a claim that will sustain extended discussion. This claim is the type of claim that might be appropriate for the conclusion of a paper, but in the beginning of the paper, the student is left with nowhere to go. What further points can be made? If there are "always alternatives" to the problem the student is identifying, then why bother developing a paper around that claim? Ideally, a thesis statement should be complex enough to explore over the length of the entire paper.

Better: The most effective treatment plan for methamphetamine addiction may be a combination of pharmacological and cognitive therapy, as argued by Baker (2008), Smith (2009), and Xavier (2011).

In the revised thesis, you can see the student make a specific, debatable claim that has the potential to generate several pages' worth of discussion. When drafting a thesis statement, think about the questions your thesis statement will generate: What follow-up inquiries might a reader have? In the first example, there are almost no additional questions implied, but the revised example allows for a good deal more exploration.

Thesis Mad Libs

If you are having trouble getting started, try using the models below to generate a rough model of a thesis statement! These models are intended for drafting purposes only and should not appear in your final work.

• In this essay, I argue ____, using ______ to assert _____.
• While scholars have often argued ______, I argue______, because_______.
• Through an analysis of ______, I argue ______, which is important because_______.

Words to Avoid and to Embrace

When drafting your thesis statement, avoid words like explore, investigate, learn, compile, summarize , and explain to describe the main purpose of your paper. These words imply a paper that summarizes or "reports," rather than synthesizing and analyzing.

Instead of the terms above, try words like argue, critique, question , and interrogate . These more analytical words may help you begin strongly, by articulating a specific, critical, scholarly position.

Read Kayla's blog post for tips on taking a stand in a well-crafted thesis statement.

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Thesis Statements

What this handout is about.

This handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and how you can craft or refine one for your draft.

Introduction

Writing in college often takes the form of persuasion—convincing others that you have an interesting, logical point of view on the subject you are studying. Persuasion is a skill you practice regularly in your daily life. You persuade your roommate to clean up, your parents to let you borrow the car, your friend to vote for your favorite candidate or policy. In college, course assignments often ask you to make a persuasive case in writing. You are asked to convince your reader of your point of view. This form of persuasion, often called academic argument, follows a predictable pattern in writing. After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of view on the topic directly and often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement, and it serves as a summary of the argument you’ll make in the rest of your paper.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement:

• tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.
• is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
• directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.
• makes a claim that others might dispute.
• is usually a single sentence near the beginning of your paper (most often, at the end of the first paragraph) that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

If your assignment asks you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you may need to convey that position or claim in a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft. The assignment may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your instructor may assume you will include one. When in doubt, ask your instructor if the assignment requires a thesis statement. When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, to compare and contrast, to demonstrate cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue, it is likely that you are being asked to develop a thesis and to support it persuasively. (Check out our handout on understanding assignments for more information.)

How do I create a thesis?

A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a “working thesis” that presents a basic or main idea and an argument that you think you can support with evidence. Both the argument and your thesis are likely to need adjustment along the way.

Writers use all kinds of techniques to stimulate their thinking and to help them clarify relationships or comprehend the broader significance of a topic and arrive at a thesis statement. For more ideas on how to get started, see our handout on brainstorming .

How do I know if my thesis is strong?

If there’s time, run it by your instructor or make an appointment at the Writing Center to get some feedback. Even if you do not have time to get advice elsewhere, you can do some thesis evaluation of your own. When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis, ask yourself the following :

• Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question. If the prompt isn’t phrased as a question, try to rephrase it. For example, “Discuss the effect of X on Y” can be rephrased as “What is the effect of X on Y?”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like “good” or “successful,” see if you could be more specific: why is something “good”; what specifically makes something “successful”?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? If a reader’s first response is likely to  be “So what?” then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.
• Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It’s okay to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? If a reader’s first response is “how?” or “why?” your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from the beginning.

Suppose you are taking a course on contemporary communication, and the instructor hands out the following essay assignment: “Discuss the impact of social media on public awareness.” Looking back at your notes, you might start with this working thesis:

Social media impacts public awareness in both positive and negative ways.

You can use the questions above to help you revise this general statement into a stronger thesis.

• Do I answer the question? You can analyze this if you rephrase “discuss the impact” as “what is the impact?” This way, you can see that you’ve answered the question only very generally with the vague “positive and negative ways.”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not likely. Only people who maintain that social media has a solely positive or solely negative impact could disagree.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? No. What are the positive effects? What are the negative effects?
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? No. Why are they positive? How are they positive? What are their causes? Why are they negative? How are they negative? What are their causes?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? No. Why should anyone care about the positive and/or negative impact of social media?

After thinking about your answers to these questions, you decide to focus on the one impact you feel strongly about and have strong evidence for:

Because not every voice on social media is reliable, people have become much more critical consumers of information, and thus, more informed voters.

This version is a much stronger thesis! It answers the question, takes a specific position that others can challenge, and it gives a sense of why it matters.

Let’s try another. Suppose your literature professor hands out the following assignment in a class on the American novel: Write an analysis of some aspect of Mark Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn. “This will be easy,” you think. “I loved Huckleberry Finn!” You grab a pad of paper and write:

Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.

You begin to analyze your thesis:

• Do I answer the question? No. The prompt asks you to analyze some aspect of the novel. Your working thesis is a statement of general appreciation for the entire novel.

Think about aspects of the novel that are important to its structure or meaning—for example, the role of storytelling, the contrasting scenes between the shore and the river, or the relationships between adults and children. Now you write:

In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.

• Do I answer the question? Yes!
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not really. This contrast is well-known and accepted.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? It’s getting there–you have highlighted an important aspect of the novel for investigation. However, it’s still not clear what your analysis will reveal.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? Not yet. Compare scenes from the book and see what you discover. Free write, make lists, jot down Huck’s actions and reactions and anything else that seems interesting.
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? What’s the point of this contrast? What does it signify?”

After examining the evidence and considering your own insights, you write:

Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave “civilized” society and go back to nature.

This final thesis statement presents an interpretation of a literary work based on an analysis of its content. Of course, for the essay itself to be successful, you must now present evidence from the novel that will convince the reader of your interpretation.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Anson, Chris M., and Robert A. Schwegler. 2010. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers , 6th ed. New York: Longman.

Lunsford, Andrea A. 2015. The St. Martin’s Handbook , 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s.

Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. 2018. The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing , 8th ed. New York: Pearson.

Ruszkiewicz, John J., Christy Friend, Daniel Seward, and Maxine Hairston. 2010. The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers , 9th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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What Makes a Thesis Statement Spectacular? — 5 things to know

Table of Contents

What Is a Thesis Statement?

A thesis statement is a declarative sentence that states the primary idea of an essay or a research paper . In this statement, the authors declare their beliefs or what they intend to argue in their research study. The statement is clear and concise, with only one or two sentences.

Thesis Statement — An Essential in Thesis Writing

A thesis statement distills the research paper idea into one or two sentences. This summary organizes your paper and develops the research argument or opinion. The statement is important because it lets the reader know what the research paper will talk about and how the author is approaching the issue. Moreover, the statement also serves as a map for the paper and helps the authors to track and organize their thoughts more efficiently.

A thesis statement can keep the writer from getting lost in a convoluted and directionless argument. Finally, it will also ensure that the research paper remains relevant and focused on the objective.

Where to Include the Thesis Statement?

The thesis statement is typically placed at the end of the introduction section of your essay or research paper. It usually consists of a single sentence of the writer’s opinion on the topic and provides a specific guide to the readers throughout the paper.

6 Steps to Write an Impactful Thesis Statement

Step 1 – analyze the literature.

Identify the knowledge gaps in the relevant research paper. Analyze the deeper implications of the author’s research argument. Was the research objective mentioned in the thesis statement reversed later in the discussion or conclusion? Does the author contradict themselves? Is there a major knowledge gap in creating a relevant research objective? Has the author understood and validated the fundamental theories correctly? Does the author support an argument without having supporting literature to cite? Answering these or related questions will help authors develop a working thesis and give their thesis an easy direction and structure.

Step 2 – Start with a Question

While developing a working thesis, early in the writing process, you might already have a research question to address. Strong research questions guide the design of studies and define and identify specific objectives. These objectives will assist the author in framing the thesis statement.

Step 3 – Develop the Answer

After initial research, the author could formulate a tentative answer to the research question. At this stage, the answer could be simple enough to guide the research and the writing process. After writing the initial answer, the author could elaborate further on why this is the chosen answer. After reading more about the research topic, the author could write and refine the answers to address the research question.

Step 4 – Write the First Draft of the Thesis Statement

After ideating the working thesis statement, make sure to write it down. It is disheartening to create a great idea for a thesis and then forget it when you lose concentration. The first draft will help you think clearly and logically. It will provide you with an option to align your thesis statement with the defined research objectives.

Step 5 – Anticipate Counter Arguments Against the Statement

After developing a working thesis, you should think about what might be said against it. This list of arguments will help you refute the thesis later. Remember that every argument has a counterargument, and if yours does not have one, what you state is not an argument — it may be a fact or opinion, but not an argument.

Step 6 – Refine the Statement

Anticipating counterarguments will help you refine your statement further. A strong thesis statement should address —

• Why does your research hold this stand?
• What will readers learn from the essay?
• Are the key points of your argumentative or narrative?
• Does the final thesis statement summarize your overall argument or the entire topic you aim to explain in the research paper?

5 Tips to Create a Compelling Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is a crucial part of any academic paper. Clearly stating the main idea of your research helps you focus on the objectives of your paper. Refer to the following tips while drafting your statement:

1. Keep it Concise

The statement should be short and precise. It should contain no more than a couple of sentences.

2. Make it Specific

The statement should be focused on a specific topic or argument. Covering too many topics will only make your paper weaker.

3. Express an Opinion

The statement should have an opinion on an issue or controversy. This will make your paper arguable and interesting to read.

4. Be Assertive

The statement should be stated assertively and not hesitantly or apologetically. Remember, you are making an argument — you need to sound convincing!

5. Support with Evidence

The thesis should be supported with evidence from your paper. Make sure you include specific examples from your research to reinforce your objectives.

Thesis Statement Examples *

Example 1 – alcohol consumption.

High levels of alcohol consumption have harmful effects on your health, such as weight gain, heart disease, and liver complications.

This thesis statement states specific reasons why alcohol consumption is detrimental. It is not required to mention every single detriment in your thesis.

Example 2 – Benefits of the Internet

The internet serves as a means of expediently connecting people across the globe, fostering new friendships and an exchange of ideas that would not have occurred before its inception.

While the internet offers a host of benefits, this thesis statement is about choosing the ability that fosters new friendships and exchange ideas. Also, the research needs to prove how connecting people across the globe could not have happened before the internet’s inception — which is a focused research statement.

*The following thesis statements are not fully researched and are merely examples shown to understand how to write a thesis statement. Also, you should avoid using these statements for your own research paper purposes.

A gripping thesis statement is developed by understanding it from the reader’s point of view. Be aware of not developing topics that only interest you and have less reader attraction. A harsh yet necessary question to ask oneself is — Why should readers read my paper? Is this paper worth reading? Would I read this paper if I weren’t its author?

A thesis statement hypes your research paper. It makes the readers excited about what specific information is coming their way. This helps them learn new facts and possibly embrace new opinions.

Writing a thesis statement (although two sentences) could be a daunting task. Hope this blog helps you write a compelling one! Do consider using the steps to create your thesis statement and tell us about it in the comment section below.

Great in impactation of knowledge

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Dissertation & Thesis Examples 📖

Real-world examples and samples from leading universities

Need some inspiration for your study? You’ve come to the right place. Here we showcase a collection of dissertation and thesis   examples to help you get started. All of these are real-world studies from actual degrees (typically PhD and Master’s-level).

PS – If you’re looking for examples of specific dissertation chapters (e.g., literature review or methodology), you can also check out our collection of free templates .

Discipline-Specific Examples

• Business & management
• Political science

Stage-Specific Examples

• Proposal/pitch
• Literature review
• Methodology

Examples: Business & Management

Below you’ll find a sample of business and management-related dissertations and theses covering a range of topics.

Title: Interaction Among Supply Chains: Consumers, Firms and Policymakers Author: Yuanchen Li Year: 2020

This PhD thesis examines the dynamics of supply chain relationships across three levels: the interactions between firms and consumers, suppliers and buyers, and firms and governments. The research aims to provide insights into the complexities of supply chain dynamics and their implications for various stakeholders.

Title: Essays in Firm-Level Patenting Activities and Financial Outcomes Author: Michael J Woeppel Year: 2020

This doctoral dissertation explores financial dynamics in two key areas: investment valuation and the performance of small innovative firms. The first chapter introduces a new metric, PI q, which incorporates the replacement cost of patent capital into the traditional Tobin’s q calculation. The second chapter examines small innovative firms, finding that they achieve higher returns for up to five years compared to non-innovators.

Title: Analysis of Design Artifacts in Platform-Based Markets Author: Vandith Pamuru Subramanya Rama Year: 2020

This dissertation investigates design issues within digital platform-based markets through three essays. The first essay explores the economic impact of augmented-reality games like Pokémon Go on local businesses, specifically restaurants. The second essay delves into the sponsored search ad-market, examining the effects of market frictions on bidding behaviors in auctions. The third essay examines user-generated content platforms, focusing on how the loss of elite status affects user contributions.

Title: Gaming the IRS’s Third-Party Reporting System: Evidence From Pari-Mutuel Wagering Author: Victor Charles Ferguson Year: 2020

This dissertation investigates if taxpayers deliberately avoid IRS third-party reporting mechanisms, focusing on an IRS amendment in 2017 that changed how gambling winnings are reported. Specifically, it looks at the impact on thoroughbred racing wagers in the US, using Canadian tracks as a control.

Title: Essays on Product Innovation and Failures Author: Moonsik Shin Year: 2020

This dissertation delves into how strategic decisions made by firms can lead to innovation failures, a relatively underexplored area compared to studies on successful innovations. The research is structured into three essays. The first explores how inter-organisational relationships, specifically investments from venture capitalists, can influence innovation failures due to pressures such as time constraints imposed on portfolio companies. The second essay examines the role of acquisitions in innovation failures, suggesting that challenges like adverse selection and integration issues post-acquisition can significantly hinder a firm’s innovation outcomes. The third essay looks at how incremental product development can lead to failures if new products are too dependent on existing technologies, which may themselves be flawed.

Need a helping hand?

Examples: Psychology Dissertations

Title: Development and Validation of the Instrumental Support Inventory for Spouses Author: Ryan P. Egan Year: 2020

This research develops and validates the Instrumental Support Inventory for Spouses (ISI-s), a new tool to measure the practical support received from a romantic partner. The study involved two phases: initially, 372 married individuals helped refine the 39-item inventory across five categories through exploratory factor analysis, assessing reliability and validity. The second phase tested the inventory with 298 parents and their partners, using a longitudinal design, confirming its reliability and validity further.

Title: Dysfunctional Individuation, Spiritual Struggle and Identity in Emerging Adults: A Developmental Approach Author: Katheryn J. Klukow Kelley Year: 2020

This study investigates why emerging adults are participating less in organised religion, yet showing increased spirituality, attributing this shift to the process of religious identity development. The research involved a longitudinal survey of 788 students at a religious university, using structural equation models to analyse data collected at four points over an academic year.

Title: Depression Dynamics across a Decade: Density in Daily Depressive Affect and Yearly Depressive Symptoms Author: Raquael J. Joiner Year: 2020

This thesis investigates depression through a dynamic systems perspective, which views changes in depressive symptoms as part of an interconnected network of emotions and states, rather than isolated events. The research focuses on how the density of depressive affect—essentially the compactness and intensity of depressive symptoms—varies within individuals over a decade. By examining data at five different timepoints, the study aims to understand how these symptoms cluster daily and how this clustering influences transitions into or out of depressive states year by year.

Title: Maternal and Adolescent ADHD, Aggression, and Dysfunctional Discipline: Mediating Roles of Maternal Emotion Dysregulation and Stress Author: Natalie M. Ehret Year: 2020

This dissertation explores the challenges that parents face when both they and their children exhibit symptoms of ADHD, as well as oppositional defiant and aggressive behaviours. It investigates how these symptoms in mothers and adolescents may influence parenting discipline, focusing specifically on the roles of maternal emotion dysregulation and stress in shaping disciplinary practices. The study employs a process-oriented approach to better understand these complex dynamics.

Title: Linguistic Markers of Maternal Focus within Emotional Conversations: The Role of Depressive Symptoms and Maltreatment Author: Brigid Behrens Year: 2020

This study explores the relationship between maternal well-being and the language used during parent-child conversations about past emotional events. It specifically examines the use of first-person singular (“I”) and first-person plural (“we”) pronouns during a reminiscing task, to determine how maternal language might reflect cognitive biases. The research includes 229 mother-child dyads, both maltreating and non-maltreating, who are part of a larger clinical trial focused on Reminiscing and Emotion Training.

Examples: Education Theses

Title: Functions and Purposes of Outdoor Education in Singaporean Education and Society: An Instrumental Case Study Author: Susanna Ho Year: 2011

This research aims to explore the roles outdoor education can play in Singapore, by conducting a case study of one school’s programme. Employing interviews, participant observations, and document analysis with tools like NVivo software, the study uses a grounded theory framework to interpret findings. It also incorporates Gert Biesta’s educational functions to assess outdoor education within Singapore’s specific context.

Title: The Impact of Internationalisation of Higher Education on Nursing Education in an Australian University: A Case Study Author: Elizabeth Alexandra Lavender Year: 2014

This study examines the impact of the rapid internationalisation of higher education on the School of Nursing and Midwifery at La Trobe University, Australia. It explores how global trends and policies, particularly the shift from ‘Aid to Trade’, have influenced educational practices within the school. The research uses a case study approach, incorporating document analysis and interviews with 15 university staff experienced in international education.

Title: Diabetes Education from the Podiatrist Perspective Author: Julia Yungken Year: 2020

This thesis investigates how diabetes education is delivered by podiatrists to patients, and the retention of this education over time. Through a series of four articles, the research first conducts a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine current educational practices. It then follows a study with three podiatrists and 24 patients over six months to observe educational retention. Additionally, a survey among Australian podiatrists assesses various educational methods and experiences. The study utilises diverse methodologies including observational studies, cognitive assessments, and surveys to understand and enhance the educational practices in diabetes care provided by podiatrists.

Title: Empowering Saudi Arabian Primary Teachers Through Participatory Action Research to Improve Their Professional Knowledge and Practices Regarding Gifted Learners Author: Faisal Yahya Alamiri Year: 2013

Title: Developing a National Assessment Model to Inform Educational Policy in Bhutan Author: Gembo Tshering Year: 2012

Examples: Healthcare-Related Dissertations

Title: Impact of the Increased Use of Telehealth on Health Care Management and Administration: The Case of New Care Management Practices Author: Immacula Pierre Year: 2024

This qualitative study explored the perceptions of healthcare managers on telehealth’s role and its influence on healthcare practices during the pandemic, focusing on aspects like provision and quality control. Through video-conferenced semi-structured interviews with 10 healthcare managers across various U.S. settings, the research aimed to understand the benefits, challenges, and the future role of telehealth.

Title: Healthcare Facilities Management Leadership Style Compared to Traditional Healthcare Business and Clinical Leaders Author: Joshua Ashlock Year: 2020

This dissertation explores leadership style differences between two groups within healthcare: traditional business and clinical leaders (represented by members of the American College of Healthcare Executives, ACHE) and healthcare facilities management leaders (represented by members of the American Society of Healthcare Engineers, ASHE). The research focuses on comparing transformational, transactional, and passive-avoidant leadership traits between these groups.

Title: Leadership Support as an Influence on Frontline Healthcare Employee Retention in the Washington Metropolitan Area (DMV) Author: Tamika Fair Year: 2023

This qualitative case study addresses the significant issue of high turnover rates among frontline healthcare employees in the DMV area, examining how the lack of support from healthcare leadership contributes to this problem. Through semi-structured interviews with 11 primary healthcare administrators in the DMV region, the research investigates how leaders engage with frontline workers and assesses their preparedness to tackle high staff turnover.

Title: Electronic Patient Portals: Promotion of Access by Healthcare Workers Increases Patient Engagement Author: Dena Todd Year: 2022

This integrative literature review examines strategies for promoting electronic patient portal (EPP) access in healthcare settings, a requirement highlighted by the Health Information for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2010. The review underscores the importance of EPP systems in providing patients with access to their personal health information, including medications, lab results, diagnostics, and appointments. It discusses the potential risks for healthcare organisations that fail to offer such access, notably the loss of federal funding.

Title: Understanding Workplace Conditions Contributing to Physician Burnout Prevalence in Maryland State Author: Fatima Adefunke Queen Year: 2023

This dissertation utilises a qualitative multiple-case study to examine the workplace conditions that contribute to physician burnout in Maryland, particularly among primary care providers who show burnout rates of up to 50%. The study involved interviews with 21 physicians, including Medical Doctors (M.D.s), Doctors of Nursing Practice (DNPs), and Nurse Practitioners (NPs). Using Shanafelt’s well-being framework, the research aimed to understand the factors leading to burnout and its subsequent impact on physician attrition.

Examples: Political Science Theses

Title: The Influence of Peer Relationships on Political Socialisation Among College Students Author: Zachary Thomas Isaacs Year: 2021

This thesis investigates the role of peer relationships in the political socialisation of college students. This is an area not extensively covered by existing research, which primarily focuses on parental influence and often excludes the post-18 age group. A survey was conducted among college students aged 18 to 24, to explore how they communicate with their peers regarding politics and the effects of these interactions on their political socialisation.

Title: The Impact of Political Culture on Political Reactions: A Case Study of EU Sanctions on Russia Author: Kenzie Robin De Keyser Year: 2020

This dissertation examines the complex political impacts of European Union (EU) sanctions on Russia, taking into account the nuanced interplay between Russia’s political culture and the economic interdependencies between the EU and Russia. The research utilises the Cross-Cultural Competency (3Cs) Theorem to analyse key elements of Russian political culture—Russian Orthodox Christianity, geography, autocracy, and economic development— which are crucial in shaping the country’s political responses and governmental structure.

Title: Biased Representation: How Compulsory Voting and Campaign Finance Interact to Influence Government Responsiveness Author: Sarah Steinberg Year: 2016

This thesis investigates the interaction between compulsory voting and campaign finance, focusing on how they influence government responsiveness. It argues that the significant financial influence in political campaigns can lead to an elite bias, where government policies favour wealthier interests. The study uses statistical analysis and case studies from two countries to explore whether compulsory voting, which typically results in nearly universal voter turnout, can mitigate this bias.

Example: Dissertation Proposal

Example: literature review chapter, example: methodology chapter.

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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Developing Strong Thesis Statements

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The thesis statement or main claim must be debatable

An argumentative or persuasive piece of writing must begin with a debatable thesis or claim. In other words, the thesis must be something that people could reasonably have differing opinions on. If your thesis is something that is generally agreed upon or accepted as fact then there is no reason to try to persuade people.

Example of a non-debatable thesis statement:

This thesis statement is not debatable. First, the word pollution implies that something is bad or negative in some way. Furthermore, all studies agree that pollution is a problem; they simply disagree on the impact it will have or the scope of the problem. No one could reasonably argue that pollution is unambiguously good.

Example of a debatable thesis statement:

This is an example of a debatable thesis because reasonable people could disagree with it. Some people might think that this is how we should spend the nation's money. Others might feel that we should be spending more money on education. Still others could argue that corporations, not the government, should be paying to limit pollution.

Another example of a debatable thesis statement:

In this example there is also room for disagreement between rational individuals. Some citizens might think focusing on recycling programs rather than private automobiles is the most effective strategy.

The thesis needs to be narrow

Although the scope of your paper might seem overwhelming at the start, generally the narrower the thesis the more effective your argument will be. Your thesis or claim must be supported by evidence. The broader your claim is, the more evidence you will need to convince readers that your position is right.

Example of a thesis that is too broad:

There are several reasons this statement is too broad to argue. First, what is included in the category "drugs"? Is the author talking about illegal drug use, recreational drug use (which might include alcohol and cigarettes), or all uses of medication in general? Second, in what ways are drugs detrimental? Is drug use causing deaths (and is the author equating deaths from overdoses and deaths from drug related violence)? Is drug use changing the moral climate or causing the economy to decline? Finally, what does the author mean by "society"? Is the author referring only to America or to the global population? Does the author make any distinction between the effects on children and adults? There are just too many questions that the claim leaves open. The author could not cover all of the topics listed above, yet the generality of the claim leaves all of these possibilities open to debate.

Example of a narrow or focused thesis:

In this example the topic of drugs has been narrowed down to illegal drugs and the detriment has been narrowed down to gang violence. This is a much more manageable topic.

We could narrow each debatable thesis from the previous examples in the following way:

Narrowed debatable thesis 1:

This thesis narrows the scope of the argument by specifying not just the amount of money used but also how the money could actually help to control pollution.

Narrowed debatable thesis 2:

This thesis narrows the scope of the argument by specifying not just what the focus of a national anti-pollution campaign should be but also why this is the appropriate focus.

Qualifiers such as " typically ," " generally ," " usually ," or " on average " also help to limit the scope of your claim by allowing for the almost inevitable exception to the rule.

Types of claims

Claims typically fall into one of four categories. Thinking about how you want to approach your topic, or, in other words, what type of claim you want to make, is one way to focus your thesis on one particular aspect of your broader topic.

Claims of fact or definition: These claims argue about what the definition of something is or whether something is a settled fact. Example:

Claims of cause and effect: These claims argue that one person, thing, or event caused another thing or event to occur. Example:

Claims about value: These are claims made of what something is worth, whether we value it or not, how we would rate or categorize something. Example:

Claims about solutions or policies: These are claims that argue for or against a certain solution or policy approach to a problem. Example:

Which type of claim is right for your argument? Which type of thesis or claim you use for your argument will depend on your position and knowledge of the topic, your audience, and the context of your paper. You might want to think about where you imagine your audience to be on this topic and pinpoint where you think the biggest difference in viewpoints might be. Even if you start with one type of claim you probably will be using several within the paper. Regardless of the type of claim you choose to utilize it is key to identify the controversy or debate you are addressing and to define your position early on in the paper.

Thesis Statement On Leadership Qualities

Nowadays, leadership thesis statement skills are a great point in favor in many selection processes and can lead you to get that position you want so much. However, you should not confuse leadership with the ability to “command”. Being a leader is much more than that; having thesis statement about leadership skills has to do with your ability to inspire confidence and commitment, as well as to motivate team members to improve day by day.

The goal of a good leader is to get the team to work effectively both individually and as a group. Your figure is key one for the department to work. On many occasions this task becomes a real challenge: the team is made up of heterogeneous people, with their own interests and differentiated knowledge. Therefore, the leader must defend the employee’s independence, supporting them in the use of all their potential and creativity and stimulating their sense of belonging to create a true team.

These are some of the most valued thesis statement on leadership qualities:

Setting goals and expectations is essential for teams to work together with a common goal

A person who moves towards a clear and fixed goal will apply himself with greater determination because he knows what is expected from him. Therefore, it becomes essential for a leader to transmit to his teams what the mission, vision and strategy are. You can start by setting an ambitious goal in the long term and, little by little, segmenting smaller tasks with more immediate results that will motivate your team and prevent them from turning their eyes away from the objective.

Invest in people

Human talent is the most important and valuable variable of any organization. Therefore, if you want prepared people, you must invest in their training. First, you must select those profiles that you think have potential in those areas and divisions that will help you to reach the goal and, once they are part of your team, invest in them to continue evolving, to grow professionally and make the organization grow towards the marked objective. People with thesis statement for leadership qualities are able to recognize special skills and know how to use them for the benefit of the company.

Enhance talent

It is important to create career plans for each of the people who work with you. Do with them performance evaluations and give a sincere feedback on what are their strengths and areas for improvement. On the other hand, talented people tend to be ambitious at the same time, so it is not always easy to retain them. For that reason it is essential to take care and motivate the talented employee. Another key ingredient is commitment, and this is only achieved with good communication between management and workers. This will make them feel motivated and satisfied.

Communication, key to lead effectively

It is essential to work on communication as an essential element to transmit the values to your team. The key is to communicate transparently, clearly and concisely. However, this flow of communication and information cannot be unilateral. Good leaders with thesis statement about leadership qualities always have an open ear towards the concerns of their employees. Communication and leadership go hand in hand when we talk about today’s leaders … and tomorrow’s leaders.

Be innovative and visionary, detect opportunities for improvement, and create an environment that stimulates.

Active listening

Active listening involves observing and asking, flexibility and trust, openness and firmness. It does no longer just about to know what the teams need, but also about actively listening to them, that is, gathering all their ideas and contributions and putting them into practice. When there is active listening in the team, the members understand and understand better the reason for their work. They expand their vision and direction according to their strategies and goals.

Enthusiasm and the spirit of overcoming

They are essential values in any leadership thesis that seeks to be a reference person within their teams. For this it is necessary that you create a healthy, optimistic, fun and at the same time ambitious and challenging working group. Motivating and inspiring your employees and encouraging their enthusiasm for projects are one of the most important skills and the key to success. Motivated employees are good employees. The more aware you are of your own abilities and the more open you are to them, the more successful you will be as a leader.

Lead by example

Albert Einstein said that “the example is not the best way to teach, it is the only one” and, this phrase, it makes special sense when talking about the relationship between a leader and his team in line with thesis about leadership. You must be the first to work hard, to take the responsibilities that protect your position and, in turn, to do so with honesty, ethics and authenticity. Do not pretend to be what you are not. Leadership ability can also be seen as the ability to deliver responsibility and delegate tasks. Those who transfer responsibility to their employees motivate them and guarantee their loyalty.

An influential leader does not need to use his authority to act on his team. The good leader influences through inspiration, his charisma, his values and his innate qualities, making his followers want to follow him, instead of feeling that they “should” do it.

Emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence is a key factor, according to the thesis on leadership, and is related to perceive the needs of the team, understand the emotions of its members (as well as their strengths, limitations and potential) and channel them in favor of the project and the organization.

Strategic thinking

Speaking about thesis statement for qualities of a good leader, good leader has his sights set on the future, which allows him to anticipate and anticipate future challenges that arise in the organization. Its task is to satisfy current demands by ensuring a good future position, establishing goals and achievable objectives.

Knowledge and experience

Knowledge and experience is one of the most obvious qualities for leaders in line with thesis paper on leadership. A leader must know more than anyone. You must know how to advance obstacles, provide solutions when necessary and guide your team to obtain them.

The leader who inspires confidence is one who demonstrates consistency in his actions, acting with ethics, respect and integrity. Trust in each member of your team, as well as in yourself, is key and necessary to create a productive environment in the workplace.

Commitment and passion

An effective leader, as we can see from good leadership thesis, must know how to transmit the commitment with the organization and the project, being an example for all team members. A committed leader is one who inspires and spreads his enthusiasm and passion by making his subordinates feels as his owns each and every one of the achievements.

Reflective Essay

Reflective essay generator.

Sometimes, it is our experiences that startled and challenged our own voyage that strengthens and improves us to be the best versions of ourselves. If your life experience greatly moved you, there is a certain essay that allows you to compose your own endeavor. In this article, read through because we will be discussing the fundamentals of writing a reflective essay.

They say that being wise is better than being knowledgeable. Wisdom is acquired through reflection of one’s experience as well as of the environment. The more we reflect the more we become aware of ourselves. We become mindful of our existence as well as the meaning of life and all the things that surround us. Here we present different formats of essays like  essays in doc .

Reflective Essay Outline Template

• Google Docs

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Reflective Essay About Life Experience

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Reflective Essay Template

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Self Reflective Essay Template

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Personal Reflective Essay Template

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Personal Reflective Sample

High School Essay

• PDFReflective Essay Example Reflective Essay Example Reflective Essay Example

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Reflective Essay Outline

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Student Reflective Example

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Communication Reflective

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What Is a Reflective Essay?

A reflective essay is a written piece of literature that focuses on presenting and narrating a person’s experience and how it becomes an instrument towards a change of perception in life.

It is a way for a writer to share an important event in his/her life and how it affected him/her so that others may learn something from it. Reflective writing root on life-changing events. The writer shares a specific experience, provides a narration of the incident including the material elements. It offers a realization so that others who may have had the same experience can draw out a shared mutual lesson from it.

How to Write a Reflective Essay

To write a reflective short essay , you need to have the right disposition as well as the momentum. Remember that you are not just writing to say something but to share an important lesson in life.

1. Think of an important event.  What you will be writing on your reflective essay is something that is rooted in your own personal experience or encounter of something. Think deep and concentrate. You may also see personal essay examples & samples.

2. Introduce your topic. In your introduction, write the concrete event or experience that you want to share. Pattern it in a story form.

3. Develop your point. Write the main content of your essay with at least three to five paragraphs supporting your main topic.

Final Reflective Essay

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Internship Reflective Essay

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Leadership Reflective Example

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Nursing Reflective Essay

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Research Reflective Example

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Tips on Writing a Reflective Essay

Writing a reflective essay is not persuasive writing where you have to convince your readers to accept your opinion. You simply have to share an experience.

1. Write a draft. Do not jump hastily onto formal writing . Write a draft where you can create a bulleted list of the things that  you want to share.

2. Think logically. When presenting a story, do it in a chronological manner so that your readers can understand the plot. Do this as well when presenting your ideas.

3. Create a summary. Use a summary writing to briefly state your insights and to give your final thoughts of the topic.

Importance of a Reflective Essay

In this era that we currently live in, personal reflection can be considered a thing of the past. Because of the gradual change and development of the things around us, we find it difficult to pause and reflect on the things that happen to our lives. You may also see academic essay examples .

The importance of  writing an essay is to present to us the things that we rarely encounter in our day-to-day activities. In this time when material things are all that mattered, we have become unappreciative of the abstract things like love, compassion, and mercy. We cannot learn these things from those electronic gadgets that keep us busy.

How to Start a Reflective Essay Correctly

As mentioned above, a reflective essay presents and narrates the experience of a writer and how it changes the way he/she perceives life. In a simpler sense, it talks about how the author reflected on a certain adventure. As an essayist, since it’s you who bears the story and lessons, you are the one who is responsible for expressing it.

Just like any other composition, it’s your introduction that catches the attention of the reader. Thus, in order for your essay to be fully read, it is important to start your essay remarkably. If you find writing an introduction for your reflective essay challenging, don’t worry, you’re not alone. In this section, we are going to slowly tackle the ways to compose a compelling introduction.

1. Being catchy is the key.

In writing your reflective essay, you must start with something that would captivate the readers right away. Since the purpose of the introduction is to grab some attention, you may include some unique and interesting facts or beliefs. In this part, showcase your creativity by adding an introduction that is written in a bizarre manner and not those that depict cliché experience. You may also utilize a highly moving quotation or a dialogue that would also be appropriate for your reader.

2. Write the thesis statement in one sentence.

A thesis statement refers to the sentence that carries the topic being discussed in the whole essay. Therefore, it bears the central idea in which your essay revolves around. In writing your own essay, construct this statement in a clear and concise sentence. In this way, the reader will have a better grasp of your topic and would be clearly oriented on what you want to convey. In most cases, thesis statements are written at the end of the introduction.

3. Stick to the first person POV.

Remembering that this essay is subjective and depends on the author’s interpretation, it is important to use the first person point of view. By using this POV, it would be easier for you to convey your thoughts and opinions, and it would engage you to the readers like you’re telling a story in person. The first person involves the pronouns I , me , my , and mine .

4. Keep it brief.

When it comes to writing your own essay, you must perceive what your readers feel or see in reading your composition. Always put into mind that readers also have their own time to spend, and without a mark in the writing industry, people won’t invest much time on reading your essay. Thus, it is important to keep your composition concise. You can utilize a paragraph of five to ten sentences in your introduction. Using this number of sentences, you must already express a complete and clear thought of an essay that is worth reading.

Reflective Essay Example

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Reflective Essay Assessment

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Reflective Essay Format

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Basic Reflective Essay

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Reflective Final Essay

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Sample Reflective Essay

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Simple Reflective Essay Example

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Standard Reflective Essay

Professional Reflective Essay

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Sample Reflective Essay in PDF

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Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

Write a Reflective Essay on your most meaningful learning experience.

Create a Reflective Essay about a time when you showed leadership.

How to Write an Explanatory Essay

• Smodin Editorial Team
• Published: May 24, 2024

A study from the English Language Teaching Educational Journal found that students encounter difficulty in organizing thoughts, generating ideas, and understanding writing processes when writing essays [1]. These are all key components of putting together a good explanatory essay. If this sounds like you, then don’t worry.

With the right approach, you can seamlessly combine all these components. This guide will give you a simple step-by-step strategy for writing an explanatory essay. It’ll also give you handy writing tips and tool suggestions, like utilizing artificial intelligence.

With this guide, you’ll be able to write an explanatory essay with confidence.

1. Develop a strong thesis statement

Crafting a strong thesis statement is the cornerstone of any well-written explanatory essay. It sets the stage for what your essay will cover and clarifies the main point you’re going to explain. Here’s how to create a thesis:

• Find the main idea : Start by pinpointing the key concept or question you want to explain. Develop a clear purpose for the essay. This will guide your research and writing process for your explanatory paper. Use other reputable explanatory essay examples to guide your ideas. This may involve exploring other explanatory essay topics within the same field.
• Be specific : A vague thesis can confuse readers. So, make sure your statement is clear. If you’re explaining a complex process, break it down to its key points. After that, break it into a clear, concise statement that’s easy to understand.
• Reflect objectivity : Explanatory essays educate and inform. They do not argue a point. So, your thesis should take an unbiased stance on the topic. It should present the facts as they are, not as you interpret them.
• Use tools like the Smodin Writer : Smodin Writer does all the heavy lifting by leveraging the power of artificial intelligence. With it, you can generate an essay with a thesis statement. How, you ask? Through its dedicated thesis generator . It can create a statement that’s both strong and relevant. Plus, it can pull in all the most interesting information based on your topic to further enrich your thesis statement.

Make your thesis clear, informative, and neutral. This sets a strong foundation for an effective explanatory essay. Next, let’s look at how to gather the information you’ll need to support this thesis effectively.

2. Research and gather information

You need to conduct thorough research that will back your thesis with credible sources and relevant evidence. This will make your explanatory essay both informative and persuasive. Here’s a step-by-step guide to conducting effective research:

• Start with a plan: Put together an explanatory essay outline that includes the information you need to support your thesis. The plan should list the best sources, like academic journals, books, reputable websites, or scholarly articles.
• Use credible sources: They ensure the accuracy of your essay. Libraries, academic databases, and certified websites are excellent places to find trustworthy information.
• Seek detailed information: Look for the most current sources that explain your topic well and provide unique insights related to or opposing your thesis statement. This depth is crucial for explaining complex ideas clearly and thoroughly in your explanatory papers. Pay attention to the explanatory essay structure to guide your topic of choice (more on this later).
• Gather relevant evidence: Collect data, stats, and examples. They should directly support your main points. Make sure this evidence is directly related to your topic and enhances your narrative.
• Employ digital tools: Tools like Smodin’s Research Assistant can accelerate your research process. Smodin’s tools can help you find detailed information quickly, ensuring that the data you use is up-to-date and relevant.
• Document your sources: As you conduct research, keep a meticulous record of where your information comes from. This practice will help you make an accurate bibliography. It can save you time when you need to refer back to details or verify facts. Again, this is something that’s covered thanks to Smodin’s Citation Machine.
• Evaluate your findings: Critically assess the information you collect. Ensure it provides a balanced view and covers the necessary aspects of your topic to give a comprehensive overview of your essay.

By following these steps, you can gather a rich pool of information that provides a strong backbone for your explanatory essay. Now, you can start structuring your findings into well-organized body paragraphs.

3. Structure body paragraphs

Once you’ve gathered relevant evidence through thorough research, it’s time to organize it. You should put it into well-structured body paragraphs that follow a logical flow. Here’s how to structure each body paragraph for a strong explanatory essay:

• Decide how many paragraphs to use : It will depend on your topic’s complexity and the needed detail. Typically, three to five paragraphs are suitable, but longer essays may require more. An explanatory essay example on your topic of choice will be helpful.
• Start with a topic sentence : Each body paragraph should begin with a clear topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph. This sentence will act as a roadmap for the paragraph, giving the reader a sense of what to expect.
• Provide supporting evidence : After the topic sentence, share the evidence from your research. Ensure the evidence is relevant and directly supports the paragraph’s topic sentence.
• Give a detailed explanation : Follow the evidence with an analysis or explanation that ties it back to the thesis statement. This step is crucial for maintaining logical flow throughout your body paragraphs.
• Use linking words : They connect body paragraphs smoothly, ensuring the reader can follow your argument.
• End each body paragraph with a closing sentence : It should sum up the point and move to the next idea.

Following this structure will help your body paragraphs support your thesis. These paragraphs will also offer a clear, detailed explanation of your essay topic. Strong body paragraphs are essential to maintain objectivity in your writing.

4. Maintain objectivity

An explanatory essay aims to inform and educate, which makes maintaining objectivity crucial. Staying neutral lets readers form their own opinions based on facts. This ensures the writing is both reliable and informative. Here’s how to maintain objectivity:

• Avoid personal opinions: Your goal is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the topic. Refrain from injecting your personal opinion or biases. Instead, stick to presenting factual information that supports the thesis.
• Use relevant evidence: As mentioned, ground your arguments with relevant evidence from credible sources. Back up your main points with data and use research findings and verified details. This will make the explanatory article trustworthy.
• Provide a balanced view: In cases with multiple perspectives, offer a balanced view. Cover each side fairly. Even if one view prevails in consensus, acknowledging others gives readers a broader understanding.
• Adopt neutral language: Be careful with word choice and tone. Neutral language implies words that don’t encourage or illustrate bias. This helps avoid emotionally charged phrases and keeps the writing objective.
• Cite sources accurately: Proper citation of sources provides accountability for the evidence presented. This transparency builds credibility and shows you’ve conducted research thoroughly. It’s also worth noting that different intuitions have different citation styles like APA and Chicago, which is important to note before starting your essay.
• Review for biases: After drafting your essay, review it with an eye for biases. Ensure no part leans too much on one viewpoint. And, don’t dismiss an opposing perspective without cause.

Maintaining objectivity enhances the clarity and reliability of explanatory writing. Let’s now focus on crafting an introduction and conclusion that bookend your work effectively.

5. Craft an effective introduction and conclusion

A good introduction and a strong conclusion frame your explanatory essay. They give context at the start and reinforce the main points at the end. Here’s how to craft an effective introduction and conclusion.

In the introduction:

• Hook your reader in the introduction : Use an interesting fact, a compelling quote, or a surprising statistic.
• Provide background information : Be brief and offer only the essential context the reader needs to fully understand the topic. This should give the audience a foundational understanding before diving deeper into your main points.
• Include the thesis statement : Clearly state your thesis near the end of the introduction. This statement will outline the essay’s direction and give readers a preview of the body paragraphs.

In the conclusion:

• Summarize the key points : Start your explanatory essay conclusion with a summary. It should cover the main points from the body paragraphs. This summary should help readers recall and reinforce the information they’ve just read.
• Restate the thesis : Repeat your thesis again but in a new way. Explain how the evidence from the body paragraphs supported or clarified it.
• Provide a conclusion : End the essay with a statement that wraps up the argument. This statement should resonate with the reader. It should leave them with an impression that stresses the topic’s importance.

An effective introduction and conclusion give the essay structure and coherence. They guide readers from start to finish. The next step is revising and editing your entire essay for clarity and precision.

6. Revise and check clarity

Revising and editing are key in writing. They make sure your essay is clear, joined, and polished. Here’s how to refine your writing using an explanatory essay checklist and proven academic writing techniques:

• Take a break: Before diving into revisions, step away from your essay for a few hours or even a day. This break will help you return with fresh eyes, making it easier to spot errors or inconsistencies.
• Follow an essay checklist: Create or use a checklist to ensure your essay has all the needed parts. It needs a strong intro with a clear thesis, well-structured body paragraphs, good sources, and a short conclusion. Check that your arguments follow a logical flow and that all relevant evidence is directly linked to your thesis statement.
• Check for clarity and conciseness: Academic writing needs clarity. So, make sure each paragraph and sentence conveys your point. Don’t use unnecessary jargon or overly complex language. Keep sentences concise while maintaining detailed explanations of your main points.
• Verify facts and citations: Make sure all facts, data, and quotes in the essay are accurate. Also, check that they are cited in the required academic style (e.g. MLA, APA). Improper citations can undermine the credibility of your writing.
• Review the grammar and style: Look for common grammar mistakes, punctuation errors, and awkward phrasing. Reading the essay aloud can help catch odd sentence structures or confusing wording.
• Seek feedback: Share your essay with a peer or use online tools to get constructive criticism. A second perspective can highlight issues you might have missed.

These editing steps will help you produce a polished essay that clearly explains your main points and holds up to academic scrutiny.

Explanatory Essay Format

Understanding the explanatory essay format is key to a well-structured and logical paper. Here’s a basic breakdown of the format for an explanatory essay:

Introduction paragraph

• Begin with an interesting sentence to capture the reader’s attention.
• Give a short intro. It should set the topic and outline the essay’s purpose.
• Present a clear thesis statement summarizing the main idea of the entire essay.

Body paragraphs

• Organize the body paragraphs around logical subtopics related to the essay topic.
• Start each body paragraph with a topic sentence that aligns with the thesis.
• Show evidence from good sources. Also, give key details for each main point.
• Incorporate a robust concluding statement per paragraph that drives home your point and links to the ideas in the next paragraph/section.
• Summarize the key points.
• Provide a final statement that reinforces the main idea without introducing new information.
• Craft a concluding statement that leaves your teacher or professor with a lasting impression.

Following this essay outline ensures that your paper has a clear flow. This makes it easy for readers to understand and follow your argument.

Write Better Explanatory Essays With Smodin

Explanatory essays can be overwhelming. Presenting a solid argument, keeping your professor or teacher interested, and remembering conventions like citations can be a real headache.

But, a strong thesis and thorough research make them easier. Well-structured body paragraphs also help deliver a clear, insightful essay that maintains objectivity. Just remember to revise and check for accuracy!

AI-powered platforms like Smodin simplify and enhance the process of writing explanatory essays.

Smodin’s tools help craft clear and well-structured essays that meet any of your academic standards. With Smodin’s advanced research capabilities, you can gather detailed and relevant information quickly. This will save you time and improve your work.

• Plagiarism Checker : Ensure your essay maintains originality with Smodin’s plagiarism detection tool. This feature helps maintain academic integrity by checking your work against vast databases.
• Auto Citation : Cite your sources accurately without the hassle. Smodin’s auto-citation tool ensures your references are in the right format and meet your academic institution’s rules.
• Text Shortener : If your explanatory essay is too long, use Smodin’s AI writer as an essay shortener. It will help you cut your content without losing key details. This helps keep your essay clear and relevant.
• Text Rewriter : Helps paraphrase existing content, ensuring uniqueness and a fresh perspective.
• Summarizer : The Summarizer boils down long articles into short summaries. They are perfect for making an efficient outline or conclusion.