Leadership-Focused Essay Sample 1

Leadership-Focused Essay: What experiences have shaped who you are, how you invest in others, and what kind of leader you want to become? (250 words)
Leading novel initiatives at Solar Energy Alliance (SEA), a non-profit trade association, shaped my team-oriented leadership approach and passion for positively influencing folks across the aisle.

Back in 2014, when the Obama administration prioritized alternative energy programs, I was chosen to spearhead the team urging the State of California to repeal its long-standing ban on solar energy storage. I assembled a team of technical experts to present our case to California’s EPA and State Water Board. My team’s expertise won them over; after weeks of deliberations, the agencies agreed to permit solar energy storage in California. This was my first leadership success in the challenging regulatory environment, thanks to the expert collaboration of my team.

Two years later, I met with Solar Energy Alliance’s CEO to problem-solve the new Renewable Identification Number (RIN), an esoteric renewable fuel credit that could be traded as a commodity. Our ignorance of RIN, he said, was costing our members money. I volunteered to become our firm’s RIN expert. For the next three months, I immersed in the field, from scientific analyses to HBS case studies, and eventually I succeeded in becoming a subject matter leader: today, I am frequently consulted by petroleum and renewable fuel companies, RIN brokers, and even the EPA itself.

Throughout these experiences, I have benefitted from building teams of experts, ramping up my own expertise, and listening to all sides of an issue. Looking forward, I will endeavor to become an even more collaborative leader, building even stronger consensus-building skills to drive progress on vital sustainability issues.