Describe your key leadership experiences and evaluate what leadership areas you hope to develop through your MBA experiences.

Sample One

When a new Vice President for the Africa division at Simplex International was appointed, I seized this opportunity to change how we worked as well as where we worked on the continent. My goal was to develop a system that allowed us to measure the success of our current investments and target our future actions within high impact countries. Through my leadership, I ultimately convinced him of this need and secured the funds required to strategically evaluate our portfolio. I recruited a team to work with me in South Africa and Madagascar. In motivating this team, I described my vision for our work and explained that the lack of a coordinated effort for measuring our investments against our goals inspired me to develop this program. In doing so, I assured everyone they would have a significant role and that I counted on each individual to make a difference. This proved enormously successful as I gave them a great deal of autonomy in many facets of the analysis that resulted in a creative effort that maximized everyone’s individual strengths to yield a highly effective team. Ultimately, the work my team completed led to several radical changes within our African portfolio. We closed some poorly targeted projects and developed others where there was a clear strategic need, leading to a greater efficiency in using our limited conservation funds. While our team was enormously successful, perhaps the biggest compliment we received was seeing other divisions of Simplex International mimic the efforts we pioneered in Africa.

In addition to the above, I have played a substantial role in mentoring and building the capacity of scientists across Africa. In Madagascar, I invited a young Malagasy woman who had never traveled outside of her country or worked for a large organization to join my team. In the beginning, her English was minimal but I mentored her and helped to build her confidence in the language and in the industry. This proved to be a highly rewarding experience for me, as I was able to transfer my knowledge and skills to help her launch her own career in conservation. I encouraged her to present some of the analysis from our work at the Annual Stakeholders Conference, the most prestigious conference in conservation. Further, her initial work on this team led her to a fulltime position within our organization.

While at Kellogg I hope to take advantage of the vast resources available for improving on my leadership skills. I have extensive experience operating in the non-profit world but would like to learn to lead in a corporate setting. Specifically, I hope to develop skills in leading direct engagements with clients through the Management Lab. Further, I strive to learn new techniques for negotiating equitable deals when dealing with diverse stakeholders.

Additionally, I have limited experience in financial management and a well-balanced leader always knows the financial details; thus, improving my financial management and accounting is of utmost importance for me at Kellogg. I thrive when leading complex events and under the banner of the Net Impact or Environmentally Sustainable Business club, I hope to bring a sustainability conference to Kellogg. Lastly, the Center for Nonprofit Management and the course Leading the Mission Driven Enterprises will help me to formulate the vision and management techniques required to launch my own nonprofit, focusing on conserving highly threatened forests in Africa. For me, Kellogg offers the entire package of leadership fundamentals, rigorous financial analytics, and hands-on leadership training, which will allow me to excel in both the private and public sector upon graduation.

Sample Two

My key leadership experiences have been the result of my ability to identify a need and take the initiative to meet it. During the first quarter of 2009, the CLO platform that I worked for was facing challenges brought on by the economic environment. The CLO was required to pass several quarterly collateral quality tests before distributions could be made to investors. One of these quarterly tests was a limit on the percentage of loans in the portfolio that could be rated CCC or worse, and the portfolio was rapidly reaching that limit as negative ratings actions affected an increasing number of loans. Since there was no mechanism in place to track the impact of ratings downgrades on the return to investors, I conceived and managed the project that fulfilled that purpose. I led operations staff and junior and senior team members to gather the information necessary to build a model that projected the impact of ratings downgrades on returns to investors. Once I had built the model, I trained peer and senior team members on how to use it and modified the model so it could be more easily integrated into other projects and analysis. The head of the group not only adopted the end product as a template for ongoing group use, but also distributed the model to outside investors.

While I enjoy leading teams to complete task-oriented projects like the one above, I have also developed leadership skills through teaching and mentorship. The training program for two analyst hires in my current group was cut from two months to two weeks. Conversations with senior team members and my own interactions with the analysts revealed that they required supplemental training, so I volunteered to provide it. My objective was to enable the analysts to successfully complete their assignments with minimal supervision. Recalling my own experiences as a new hire, I knew how challenging it was to absorb large amounts of unfamiliar information all at once. In addition to providing one-on-one tutorials for the analysts, I authored a manual with examples of previously completed work and step-by-step instructions for common tasks. The popularity of this “go-to” reference with the analysts taught me the value of providing team members with resources that enhance their capacity for success.

While I have developed leadership skills through my work experience, there are many areas in which I would hope to grow during my time at Kellogg. In the classroom, I want to acquire the business knowledge to make informed and effective decisions as a manager. Understanding how different leadership styles are perceived by others will also be instrumental in the development of my own leadership skills. Whether I’m participating in a study group or leading a student club, the team structures that permeate every aspect of Kellogg life will allow me ample opportunity to observe and experiment with different leadership styles. Given my career goal of working for a sovereign wealth fund, learning how leadership styles differ across cultures is of particular importance to me. I want to evolve into a cross-cultural leader, and the diversity of Kellogg’s student body will be invaluable in this regard.

The leadership quality that I most aspire to develop at Kellogg is the capacity to understand the impact of my decisions beyond the context of the project at hand. I want to learn not only how to make effective business decisions, but also to understand the ethical, financial, organizational, and societal impact of those decisions. My sincerest hope is to emerge from my MBA experiences as a leader who is responsible in every sense of the word.

Sample Three

With college friends, I founded the Net Impact NY Professional chapter, a high impact way to create tangible change in my community, develop an avenue for others to improve the world, and leave a legacy. In 2008, the leadership team elected me as president of the chapter, charging me with setting the vision and goals, and restructuring the leadership team. Initially, there was minimal structure and accountability in the team. After I coached new leaders and delegated tasks, the team dynamics improved greatly. Since involvement was voluntary, one tremendous challenge was to overcome competing priorities to achieve our goals. I ensured that the team felt closely tied to the organization by matching their professional and personal goals with their role on the leadership team, empowering them to make decisions and giving them credit when due. A crucial lesson was the power of personal relationships and leading by example. My success in building our non-profit consulting program motivated the team to achieve our goals, and the social events I organized allowed us to form relationships, which improved our teamwork. We received a Gold rating from the national organization (for chapters that go above and beyond), further proving the importance of fostering dedication, motivation and collaboration as the work of a leader.

Another significant leadership experience was in my initial role at Price Beemon. I was hired to close competitive gaps for the firm and attract more institutional clients by building products to help these clients improve operational efficiencies. I faced a twofold challenge: leading the analysis to identify the client need while also educating senior management on these products. I methodically interviewed clients, identified and scoped vendors, and engaged stakeholders from IT and different business lines. To ensure my supervisors would support my proposals and help achieve consensus with stakeholders, I tirelessly created visual documents and presentations to educate them on the business and clearly articulate clients’ needs. When Price Beemon imploded and became part of TH Price, I shifted gears and creatively scoured all options; we had to move beyond solutions centered on Price Beemon technology and look to leverage internal TH Price solutions. Due to my research and in-depth analysis, I was a vital source of input for senior management when making decisions on these projects. Because of my business analysis, we secured a $2 million budget to complete five projects to be worked on this year.

To achieve my long-term goal in social enterprise, I need to inspire my team, investors, and beneficiaries to believe in my vision. By participating in Board Fellows, I will learn how to lead mission-driven organizations firsthand from board members at a local non-profit. With my short-term goal of management consulting, I will need to manage teams across multiple disciplines and motivate them towards achieving our shared goal. Leading and Managing Teams, Cross-Cultural Negotiations, and Power in Organizations are a few classes that can help me sharpen my leadership style by acquiring managerial, influence, and negotiation skills. Through project work with my classmates, I intend to enhance my consensus-building skills and learn to identify talents within a group. The Executive Leader in Residence Series will provide me with lessons from experts in the field and frame best practices. Lastly, designing and gaining support for my ideas through club and conference leadership, I can test the theories learned in class and put them into action. My experiences in leadership have helped me become a better leader; I plan to continue these experiences by taking advantage of Kellogg’s 1000+ leadership opportunities and refine my personal leadership style.

Sample Four

Throughout my collegiate and professional experiences, I have pursued opportunities that allow me to significantly impact my community or organization. At Loyola Marymount University (LMU), I was dedicated to preserving and building the LMU and Greek communities, a commitment that evolved throughout my undergraduate years and continues as an alumnus.

As a sophomore, I was elected Treasurer of my fraternity, a position normally held by an upperclassman. During my first year, I had spent a lot of time helping the officers and discussing ways to improve the chapter. What I lacked in experience, I made up for in innovation and dedication. At the time, our chapter was the largest on campus and had an annual budget in excess of $100,000. This large revenue base permitted some members to avoid paying dues on time or at all. In order to improve dues collection, I proposed a fully electronic billing and collection system. This was a drastic change from the traditional promise-and-paper system. To alleviate the members’ concerns, I held several meetings with other Executive Committee members and presented the benefits of the new system to the entire chapter. After the implementation, dues collection increased significantly, rising from 75% to 95%. Learning to lead others through an unfamiliar change was key to success.

My undergraduate commitment to leadership at LMU culminated in my election to Interfraternity Council President. I was again put in a position to lead others through implementing change. IFC is the governing body for the ten social fraternities at LMU, representing nearly 35% of the student body. Due to its large presence on campus, IFC had become content with the status quo and rife with apathy and groupthink. I was committed to changing the culture, reinstituting the council’s autonomy, and improving communication. I redrafted the council’s by-laws and empowered the IFC Chief Justice, a position that had been marginalized, to more effectively handle disciplinary actions. I led an effort to formulate new risk management policies, improving safety at social activities. I also reengaged with the LMU Administration, holding meetings with the Vice-Chancellor to proactively address issues such as excessive and underage alcohol consumption.

In my career, I have also encountered opportunities to lead in uncertain situations. I joined TTA as the only junior staff member on a team of four investment professionals. However, the firm quickly doubled in size. Although my new team members had deep energy industry knowledge, they lacked private equity experience and were just learning TTA’s procedures. On our next deal, a $700mm joint venture, the new senior professionals were unfamiliar with the due diligence requirements, so I offered to lead the effort. Over the next sixty days, I worked with the attorneys and management to investigate and confirm the target company’s legal documentation, financial position, and operations.

In order to succeed throughout my career in private equity, I recognize that I must continue to grow and evolve as a leader. At Kellogg, learning, traveling and sharing experiences with top students from around the world will be vital to my collaborative leadership development and will enhance my ability to see from different perspectives. In this environment, I will become a more effective manager and communicator by learning to identify interpersonal dynamics and build consensus among diverse team members. The various clubs and team projects at Kellogg offer leadership roles that will enhance my ability to motivate and leverage the talent of others. After Kellogg, I will utilize these skills as a private equity professional to optimize results when working with colleagues to structure transactions, negotiate with financing providers, and build portfolio company management teams.

Sample Five

The X Company hired me and 199 other college graduates in 2003-2005 to build a strong base of future engineering leadership. Unfortunately, the enthusiasm and optimism about the new hires growing into future leaders of X was premature. There were not enough developmental opportunities and 40% of college hires left the company after only a year. In light of this, I conceived and spearheaded the establishment of an engineering rotation program that would retain and energize this pool of new hires by exposing them to new skills, business units, and senior X mentorship. My biggest challenge in achieving my vision was to convince my peers and the site management that this program would be worthwhile.

To secure buy-in from my peers, I created a site-wide survey to gain insight into whether they would be interested in a rotation program. The results from the survey supplemented by numerous informal lunch conversations with a number of college hires indicated interest was very high. The next step was to convince the site management that a rotation program would be worthwhile. To set the stage for my proposal presentation to the site management decision makers, I met with different department directors and managers in finance, human resources, and other engineering organizations to gather their input on program design. I revised my proposal based on discussions and negotiations with them and secured a high degree of support and encouragement in advance of the proposal meeting. I also engaged my peers in the proposal review process. These colleagues would form the foundation of the program implementation team, and their endorsements were crucial to the ultimate success of the program.

The idea that a leader’s actions speak louder than his or her words has become the foundation of my leadership style. During the planning and implementation phase of the rotation program, I was working full-time, enrolled in couple of masters engineering courses and involved in other community service activities. Yet, I always met my commitments on the rotation program. As a result, the entire team was motivated to complete their tasks and “I don’t have time” was never an excuse. Another key aspect of my leadership was the ability to effectively communicate the project vision and mission with stakeholders and explore alternate approaches to the vision and mission. This resulted in amicable resolution of various conflicting ideas. The program proposal I co-developed reflected the input of all the stakeholders and was accepted unanimously by site management.

Over the next six months, I led a team of four fellow colleagues and together, we made this idea a reality. In 2005, 16 graduates enrolled in the program. The rotation program has gained attention at the regional level. The Human Resources department adopted the program as one of their initiatives and is currently planning a region-wide roll out of the program. The feedback from program participants has been extremely positive and there is a 90% retention rate for program participants.

Given my aspiration to be a future leader at the World Bank in Africa, I recently read the biography of Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili, who is the current World Bank Regional Vice-President of Africa. I learned that a critical factor in Oby's leadership style is her ability to achieve client "buy-in" no matter how extensive the reform strategy presented. She is an expert negotiator, an effective strategic decision maker, and has a gift for influencing others. Kellogg’s integrated leadership development will allow me to grow in all of these critical leadership skills. Through coursework on effective leadership, opportunities to practice leadership principles and an extensive roster of special events such as lecture series and conferences, I will develop the team leadership skills I need in the short-term as a World Bank technical consultant as well as the advanced skills that will be demanded in World Bank senior leadership.

Kellogg courses such as Leadership in Organizations, Power in Organizations and Leaders and Leadership will introduce the principles of negotiation skills, decision making processes, and leadership influence techniques I need. My Kellogg classmates, all strong leaders with diverse backgrounds, will form a kind of learning laboratory to test new behaviors and hone my own leadership style. In addition, creating a business plan for the Social Enterprise Competition and working with organizations in a developing country during the GIM course will enable me to study the unique challenges of leading in these arenas. Finally, the Women leadership workshops organized by the Women Business Association and the annual leadership conference will be valuable platforms to network with exceptional, seasoned leaders and to learn from their leadership successes and failure in the real world environment. In all these ways, Kellogg’s resources will be instrumental in preparing me to become an effective reformer like Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili.

Sample Six

Having a passion for teaching, most of my early leadership experiences are derived from mentoring and knowledge sharing activities. One of my first undergraduate leadership opportunity was as a dorm tutor for NYU’s Learning Assistance Program (LAP) where I pioneered a pilot program with the help of five other tutors, to provide personalized academic help to students. After LAP, I continued to teach for the College of Computing as a Lead Teaching Assistant (TA). I led 30 students during TA-Sessions and mentored new TAs in effective means of communicating with students.

During these experiences, I led the group by consensus building which required finding common inspiring points and then leveraging these points to achieve the desired objective of improving student learning. Through Kellogg’s collaborative learning experience, I aim to develop the foresight to quickly identify the points of divergence and agreement within a group, and use the latter to lead. I understand that some group settings may require an established decision making hierarchy. Using the experiences of my fellow students at Kellogg, I plan to develop the finesse of implementing a team hierarchy when necessary without reducing the free flow of innovative ideas.

In my professional career as a consultant I was immersed in team environments, where I refined the consensus building skills I gained during college and was also presented with opportunities to develop new leadership areas. One such project experience was at a life-sciences distributor, where I led a three-week effort to train two client employees while simultaneously developing a profitability model. The short timeline, being the only Markon practitioner on the client site, in addition to being the youngest professional, made the task even more challenging. I established my credentials through a series of workshops to showcase previously completed work and laid out an achievable plan of action, meticulously outlining tasks, responsibilities and deadlines. Together we finished three days ahead of schedule. The team later repeated the process successfully proving an effective transfer of knowledge.

Working with two inexperienced employees required an approach different from consensus building. Using a directive managerial approach, I ensured a timely deliverable but inhibited the process improvement which could have been brought about by new ideas. At Kellogg I want to develop into a leader who empowers fellow team members to accomplish the assigned task with minimal supervision. Through leadership opportunities at Kellogg, I aim to gain the experience to appropriately identify resources to complete a task. I seek to gain the knowledge to make opportune business decision that steer my team in the right direction while giving them the autonomy to make innovative decisions.

Another of my learning leadership experiences was at a major auto manufacturer during a product lifecycle project. After a grueling month of analysis, we realized that the client’s Finance and Marketing teams did not agree to a mathematical definition of profitability, leaving our analysis without a reference dollar figure. Being the analytics lead, I worked with mid-level management of the IT, Finance and Marketing teams, to identify specific elements in the P&L which were the cause of concern. Through a series of consensus meetings, we developed an approach to tackle the nuances and come to an appropriate metric. After four months, we delivered $25.1MM to the client’s bottom line. $7.9MM came from my analytics work stream.

During this project, I was faced with vastly different professional cultures having different communication styles, hierarchical structures and work schedules. Although I was successful, I need to further refine my ability to interact and operate across different work cultures. The diversity of work experiences of Kellogg students and a team-oriented environment will help me develop appropriate communication methods and an effective management approach needed in such diverse work cultures. Through a range of leadership experiences I have laid the foundation to be an effective leader by identifying my strengths and development opportunities. I can lead and have led before, at Kellogg I will learn to do it better.

Sample Seven

Through my professional and undergraduate experiences, I have had the opportunity to be a leader in various situations. After each situation I reflected on what I did well and where I needed to improve. Enhancing my leadership skills is essential for my future career goals and an MBA from Kellogg will provide the best opportunity to improve them.

One of my first major leadership experiences in college was as an executive member of my fraternity. Being elected to this position as a sophomore was both exciting and unnerving, but what I lacked in experience I made up for in fresh ideas and determination. At that time, alumni participation and financial support was at an all-time low. Seeing athletics as a potent lever for building morale and enthusiasm, I saw an opportunity to use our fraternity’s anniversary to organize a series of athletic events to rally support. The event was comprised of a golf tournament, football game and evening celebration to increase donations and create a high value experience.

To organize the event, I held kick-off meetings with our members and the executive committee, dividing responsibilities for the event. The preparation was rewarded with a successful affair; 250 alumni participated in the various events donating over $31,000, a dramatic increase from any previous year. I believe my fresh perspective and collaborative leadership style were key components in forming the unique ideas and leading the rest of the membership in implementing them. This event also demonstrated my ability to step outside of my comfort-zone and adapt to an unfamiliar situation, skills which have proven to be exponentially beneficial in my career growth.

With my promotion to Project Manager at my current company, I once again found myself leading people who are much older and more experienced than I. The eleven individuals reporting to me were not effectively running the operations of the master plan development, so I took the initiative to meet with each team member to objectively assess the team breakdown. After listening to their frustrations, I gained their confidence and established my credibility in the meetings by stressing the experience I brought to the team from both my prior leadership roles and the training I had completed. Furthermore, I set clear expectations and identified key areas of improvement during each meeting. From my analysis, I concluded the team was unorganized and its communication was ineffective. These shortcomings were exacerbated by the group’s low morale due to significant staff reductions and diminishing sales. I combated this mindset by fostering team spirit and setting individual and team goals. I minimized the pressure on the sales team by providing tools to overcome buyer objections and instituted new training measures to control the construction quality and provide guidance. By unifying the team vision and organizing the project, I was able to focus the team on the desired result. We increased our construction quality ratings as well as our customer satisfaction average from 77% to 94%. The figures were concrete evidence of our marked improvement, but the positive feedback from the customers was one of the more satisfying outcomes.

My passion and determination will be essential to launch a development firm, but for it to truly reach its full potential I must strengthen certain leadership skills which are vital to my entrepreneurial pursuits. An MBA from Kellogg, coupled with my existing managerial foundation, will ensure that I am an effective decision maker and business leader. On my recent campus visit, the participants of the information session displayed the incredible diversity of Kellogg’s student body. My experiences have been extremely beneficial to my development and I am excited to contribute to this highly collaborative environment by sharing them with other students. Through these interactions, I will learn from my classmates’ experiences and gain insight into the intricacies of their leadership styles developed within their respective industries. These interactions will further develop my communication skills thus improving my ability to effectively communicate the vision for my future real estate development firm. Additionally the team projects and wide range of clubs and groups on campus offer the type of leadership roles where I can enhance my ability to not only delegate, but also motivate and provide constructive feedback to others. Improving in these areas will also make me a more effective leader, as I will understand how to leverage the talents of others in order to grow my future company. Through Kellogg’s course offerings, class interactions and leadership opportunities, I will become a more capable and well-rounded leader.

Sample Eight

My leadership roles in both college and my current career have been diverse and unique. While they provide a good foundation on which to build future skills, my experience is not at the level I desire. Considering my future ambitions to lead the marketing department of an international company, I am focusing my efforts on developing leadership in corporate settings with people of varying cultures. I need these skills to “round out” my abilities, and I am excited about the opportunities an MBA from Kellogg will provide with respect to these areas of interest.

My first major development of leadership ability came primarily through my fraternity (Delta Tau Delta) and the Tulane Programming Board, an organization responsible for campus-wide event coordination. My role in these organizations was to increase participation across the board, and in Delta Tau Delta, to increase fund-raising efforts, both philanthropic and fraternal. I liked to exercise creativity to get the job done. One of my favorite experiences was my “I’m balding and proud of it” competition. Due to creative programming and added event structure I provided with the help of current members, Delta Tau Delta enjoyed a 25% increase in alumni participation in one year and our two biggest fund-raisers combined raised $60,000. Likewise, the Programming Board showed an increase in attendance of 100%. This can be attributed to polls I conducted with undergraduates and extensive marketing schemes. Our events included cooking shows, stand-up comedy acts, and live bands--sometimes attracting 5000 students. These leadership experiences provided excellent opportunities for me to learn about motivating through creative programming and organizing large-scale events. I attribute much of the success in my current job to the things I learned through my undergraduate activities.

Since joining Matrix, I’ve developed a different set of leadership qualities. Through my travels, I have managed manual laborers up to 30 years older than I who have had little or no knowledge of English. Moreover, I have repeatedly led them through multi-million dollar radioactive and explosive operations, operations where one wrong decision will mean that ten people do not return home from work. More importantly, I’ve taken an active role in their development by making sure they are rewarded for their hard work. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing pure elation on someone’s face after I granted a well-deserved promotion, and I feel fortunate to have had this opportunity early in my career. This experience has helped give me appreciation for workers of all levels in an organization as I have learned that people at all levels make a difference.

The skills I plan to develop through a Kellogg MBA are multicultural leadership in corporate settings. A remote wellsite has dynamics that are drastically different than those of a boardroom. Exposure to corporate leadership is paramount for my long-term goal of becoming head of marketing. I am eager to learn about the intricacies of leading in this environment through an internship in Kellogg’s own backyard, Chicago. I know that Kellogg can fulfill my requirements as I plan to take full advantage of the Global Initiatives in Management and exchange programs to acquire an international education. I also see myself leading a cultural club to promote a global experience at Kellogg. Through a reemphasized global course structure and accessibility to a diverse city, staff, and student body, I know I will emerge from the program a more confident, competent, and well-rounded leader ready for my next challenge.

Sample Nine

In 2004, as a senior member of the Development group at Hammond International, I was charged with leading a four person team to redesign and develop our Reconciliation module, a tool that would allow our clients to reconcile their derivative positions with other investment banks. My first function as leader was to organize the project. I called weekly staff meetings, where the Reconciliation team would discuss their efforts during the week. I outlined a clear project plan, setting deadlines for even the most mundane of tasks, and I illustrated the impact that any slippage would cause. By breaking the Reconciliation project down into numerous mini-projects, I eased the tension within the team. Instead of looking at a large unknown quantity of tasks, everyone now understood what their responsibilities were. Now that the project was organized, I also needed to make sure the team was motivated. I conveyed to the group the importance of the Reconciliation module within the company, and how I envisioned it becoming one of our key selling points during the pre-sales process. Everyone now began to look at our project as an opportunity to make a strong impact on the company’s bottom line. By motivating the team, I ensured a quality output from the project.

As the leader, I had the unenviable task of making unpopular decisions for the group. When I saw that we were overextended, I fought to remove ten percent of the original requirements. While this upset members of the Product and Professional Services teams, I felt that there was no realistic scenario that would have us producing a quality product in the time frame unless we cut several enhancements. Ultimately, we were able to deliver the module on time, and it has quickly become one of the key selling points, generating more than $3M in revenue for the Hammond International platform. By instilling a clear roadmap, motivating the team, and making tough decisions, I was able to lead our team and ensure an on-time release of a successful product.

After I joined the Professional Services team in 2005, I was given the responsibility to lead the implementation of Hammond International’s first corporate client based out of Berlin. The deal was worth over $1M in revenue and we targeted to complete the project in a six month period. After five months on the project, we were well behind schedule. I made the difficult decision to temporarily suspend the implementation for a week. I would use this time to discuss with the client what their priorities were and how best to address the remaining work. My decision to halt the project was viewed unfavorably by the client. They didn’t understand how we could afford to take a break when we were already behind schedule. I convinced them that a main reason for the delay was a lack of communication on what the requirements were. By taking the time to lay out a clear plan and map out the remaining tasks, we were able to minimize our cost overrun and complete the project in ten months. I am especially proud that I was able to recognize mistakes in mid-process and immediately implement changes to ensure a satisfactory result. I used the lessons I learned on this project to bring another new client into production last month in a brief five month period. I hope to gain new insight on further improving my leadership skills through my experiences at Kellogg over the next two years.

Sample Ten

When I became captain of the Dartmouth volleyball team, our team was the underdog due to our relative size and skill. But our greatest challenge was ourselves. Our team lacked motivation, focus and spirit. As team captain, I worked to align the team around a common objective to build our sense of team work and strengthen our mental attitude. I did this by setting a positive example for my teammates. At practices, I used all my effort to dive for each ball and challenged my teammates to push their physical limits as well. After each game, I complemented my teammates for outstanding performances, provided constructive feedback on how they could improve, and initiated additional practice sessions to focus on improving those skills. I coordinated social events with the Men’s volleyball team to build a sense of community and boost camaraderie. After a short time, this positive spirit and focus on our goals diffused throughout the team and we began to beat teams that were taller, stronger, and more talented. This experience taught me that one’s spirit is contagious. Consequently, leaders should lead by example, display a positive attitude, provide constructive feedback, and build a sense of community to work towards a common goal.

These leadership skills have carried over into the way I lead my consulting projects. For example, I was the sole on-site lead for an implementation of a markdown optimization system. Having suffered several changes in executive management as well as painful systems implementations, the client team was wary of new consultants and had a negative attitude toward new systems. To ensure a smooth implementation, I had to convince the client team that we were partnering to improve their future markdown process. I organized a kick-off picnic lunch to generate excitement around the project. While the software team built the tool off-site, I spent extra time on-site interviewing members of the impacted cross-functional groups to understand their issues in the current process and to minimize potential future issues during the implementation phase. I provided a fresh outside perspective on how they could improve their process and – most importantly - an open forum for discussion and feedback. I coordinated and led hands-on, role-based training sessions to go above and beyond traditional point-and-click training to ensure that the users understood how the tool will help execute their specific business processes. By the end of the project, I gained the trust and support of the client through my positive and collaborative attitude. All of these elements contributed to a successful implementation and I felt tremendous personal satisfaction to receive feedback from the executive sponsor that our project had been one of the smoothest and well-managed systems implementations that he had ever initiated.

I believe I was successful because I could draw from and build upon the leadership qualities I learned on the volleyball court: building a sense of team, providing constructive feedback, and displaying a positive attitude and work ethic. I am extremely proud of the leadership qualities that I developed as captain of the Dartmouth women’s volleyball team and leading implementation projects; these skills continue to carry over in all aspects of my life.

Sample Eleven (Excerpt)

Having a passion for teaching, most of my early leadership experiences are derived from mentoring and knowledge-sharing activities. One of my first undergraduate leadership opportunities was as a dorm tutor for the University of Texas Learning Assistance Program (LAP), where I pioneered a pilot program with the help of five other tutors to provide personalized academic help to students. After LAP, I continued to teach for the college of computing as a lead teaching assistant (TA). I led 30 students during TA sessions and mentored new TAs in effective means of communicating with students.

During these experiences, I led the group by consensus building, which required finding common inspiring points and then leveraging these points to achieve the desired objective of improving student learning. Through Kellogg’s collaborative learning experience, I aim to develop the foresight to quickly identify the points of divergence and agreement within a group and use the latter to lead. I understand that some group settings may require an established decision-making hierarchy. Using the experiences of my fellow students at Kellogg, I plan to develop the finesse of implementing a team hierarchy when necessary without reducing the free flow of innovative ideas.

Sample Twelve

Upon graduating from the University of Michigan, I was eager to maintain ties to the school and remain involved as an alumnus. I soon discovered that the Michigan Young Alumni Club (Michigan-YA) had become dormant in recent years, resulting in a weakened alumni community. Disappointed, I decided to take matters into my own hands and joined forces with a small group of young alumni. Together, we began a push to reinvent the Michigan-YA.

Our first step was to organize a recruiting event that resulted in over 30 volunteers for a newly established steering committee. I then formed and chaired the first Ann Arbor events committee and led a team of committee members in planning our first social event, a cocktail party. Together, we laid the groundwork for a marketing campaign utilizing peerto- peer online services, electronic invites, e-mail blasts, and aggressive word of mouth promotion. Our efforts paid off; we drew over 500 attendees, a 20x improvement from the attendance of cocktail parties organized by the previous leadership. This event served well in establishing our presence and built enough momentum that the monthly cocktails have become a staple for the Michigan alumni community. Additionally, we planned several community events including a coordinated effort with Peninsula Cares. The activities were so well received that we eventually spawned a separate community service committee to organize more frequent events benefiting a diverse set of charitable causes.

As the events committee gained traction, I transitioned to the role of the Club’s CFO and soon secured renewable funding from the umbrella alumni association, which had never before financially supported a young alumni club. I then developed financial policies and procedures to guide the committee chairs in planning events and ensuring our long-term viability.

Additionally, as an executive officer, I worked with the other key leaders to develop a growth plan from a recruiting and marketing standpoint and to establish relationships within the alumni association to ensure this critical backing from the university. Ultimately, even amidst budget cuts within the alumni association, our funding was regularly renewed due to our increasing visibility. Reaching young alumni had always been a focus for the alumni association, but they had a difficult time relating to the younger, more transient group and cultivating their relationship with the university. In our organization, they finally had a solution.

Currently, the board has grown to over 50 active members and our calendars are filled with several events per week. The alumni association has been so happy with our efforts that we are discussing implementing our model in other cities across the country. The university has recognized us for our efforts as well, awarding us the prestigious Michigan Associates Outstanding Achievement Award this past year for exceptional volunteer service. Attendance from young alumni has increased at university events, and there has been an increase in young alumni volunteers for the school’s fundraising campaign. I am proud to have been recognized for our organization’s success; however, most importantly, I am happy that we created a cohesive community and reinforced ties between young alumni and the University of Michigan.

Sample Thirteen

When my climbing party reached the top of Mount Rainier, I was fatigued, dizzy, and exhilarated all at the same time. My multiple knee injuries from my college football days made reaching the summit an incredible challenge. Ultimately, the inspiration of introducing others to the joys of climbing and sharing the rewards with them made the struggle worthwhile.

My long-standing injuries were well known to my climbing team. When people are counting on you as a leader, you can’t hide your weaknesses. The fact that I was so forthcoming and never let my knee problems slow me down actually helped me motivate my team. A year ago, I recruited 10 friends to climb Mount Rainier. I enjoyed the challenge of pulling my “coach potato” friends off their sofas and guiding them up the wall at the climbing gym and eventually the rocky face of Rainier.

When people were exhausted, I kept their minds focused on the goal. At other times, I made the call that a break was needed to refresh and regroup. I was pleased to see that my friends’ lifestyle changes extended beyond our climbing outings; many began eating better and exercising on their own.

At the top of Rainier, my friend asked me how my knees were holding up. I answered that my knees were shaking but not because of my old football injuries. I was simply exhilarated about leading this group in a life-changing experience. As I looked around at the smiling faces, I realized that we all have limitations to overcome, and when a team is counting on you, you are capable of things you could never have accomplished on your own.

Sample Fourteen

While I have held a number of leadership positions during my academic and professional career, there are still specific leadership abilities I need to develop in order to achieve my career goals, including improving my decision-making skills, understanding international corporate governance, and studying best-in-class strategies for driving business growth.

Leaders must act decisively in the face of complexity and uncertainty, and I need to study the proven decision-making processes that general managers and CEOs use when faced with tough choices. The frameworks and real-world case studies I will be exposed to in courses such as Values and Crisis Decision Making and International Business Strategy will provide me with additional decision-making tools and allow me to hone my judgment. Furthermore, the impressive roster of keynote speakers, many of them CEOs from Fortune 500 companies, that come to Northwestern will share what worked and didn’t work for them when faced with tough situations in the real world. I look forward to adding many new leadership decision-making tools to my arsenal during my two years at Kellogg.

As a future multi-national business leader, I will need to be well versed in the area of international corporate governance and international business law. I would like to cross register for the International Corporate Governance course offered at Northwestern Law, allowing me to examine the financial, economic, legal, and cultural dimensions of corporate governance in emerging markets such as Asia and Latin America.

Lastly, I think one of the biggest challenges that CEOs face today is maintaining top-line growth, whether organically or through mergers and acquisitions. An MBA from Northwestern will provide me with ample opportunity to learn how to drive business growth. Kellogg’s electives ranging from Marketing Strategy to Consumer Insight Tools will teach me the latest ideas on how to grow revenues as a strategist and eventually from the CEO’s office. Kellogg’s reputation for attracting students with world class marketing backgrounds means that I will be working in teams with elite marketing professionals and learning from an insider’s perspective.