I am an entrepreneur (cofounder of a Startup that is doing well). My background in short: I am a medical doctor who changed her career and helped start an Internet company. I have five years of experience running a small company, A Masters in Nutrition from the US, a 4.0 Grad GPA, average undergrad GPA (Can't get exceptional GPAs in medicine), a GMAT of 770 and a fairly good story to tell.
My second essay topic is about a significant leadership experience and what it taught me about my strengths and weaknesses. I have two options in mind:
1. We bagged a huge project (2007) and there were conflicts between the sales and operations team. I helped resolve the situation and ensured the success of the project. Strengths: My ability to create better understanding between teams and resolve a situation. Weaknesses: my eagerness to bag the project which was one of the reasons for the conflict, my attempts to salvage every project (sometimes it is just not worth it)
2. I mentored an employee to become more confident and succeed in her job responsibilities. I had initially given up on her but I eventually gave her space to grow. And she has matured into a good leader herself. Strengths: my ability to nurture employees, my mentoring skills Weaknesses: My initial impatience, how I overwhelmed her with too many ideas.
Though option 2 is more personal and more "different" I am worried it does not involve managing several teams of people or making a significant difference in revenues (though I have done all that at my startup as well). Quoting what I read elsewhere "Teaching is not really leadership. Mentoring is not leadership either. Real leadership is taking people who don't necessarily agree with you and steering them through a situation, problem, or crisis. When you take a large group of diverse people and get them to follow you in thought and action to make a significant impact on an organization, company, or community, then you've led. Until you've done that, you have not led."
Is it mandatory to include "leading teams" in the leadership essay, especially if I say I have done so in my resume?
Which one would you pick and why?
My second essay topic is about a significant leadership experience and what it taught me about my strengths and weaknesses. I have two options in mind:
1. We bagged a huge project (2007) and there were conflicts between the sales and operations team. I helped resolve the situation and ensured the success of the project. Strengths: My ability to create better understanding between teams and resolve a situation. Weaknesses: my eagerness to bag the project which was one of the reasons for the conflict, my attempts to salvage every project (sometimes it is just not worth it)
2. I mentored an employee to become more confident and succeed in her job responsibilities. I had initially given up on her but I eventually gave her space to grow. And she has matured into a good leader herself. Strengths: my ability to nurture employees, my mentoring skills Weaknesses: My initial impatience, how I overwhelmed her with too many ideas.
Though option 2 is more personal and more "different" I am worried it does not involve managing several teams of people or making a significant difference in revenues (though I have done all that at my startup as well). Quoting what I read elsewhere "Teaching is not really leadership. Mentoring is not leadership either. Real leadership is taking people who don't necessarily agree with you and steering them through a situation, problem, or crisis. When you take a large group of diverse people and get them to follow you in thought and action to make a significant impact on an organization, company, or community, then you've led. Until you've done that, you have not led."
Is it mandatory to include "leading teams" in the leadership essay, especially if I say I have done so in my resume?
Which one would you pick and why?
