First and foremost, a good recommendation should be from a superior who has had very close contact with your day to day work performance. The key to a great recommendation is anecdotyl evidence (from real examples) instead of just listing attributes. When asked to compare your performance to others in a similar role, your recommender should rank you highly, so make sure they are a true "fan" and have a real interest in seeing you go to b-school. For this reason, it's a good idea to spend some time with your recommenders, and share with them your vision for why you want the MBA and what you plan to do with it. It is paramount that you and your recommender are on the same page in this regard. HBS has put it well:
“We have found that the most useful recommendations provide detailed descriptions, candid anecdotes and specific evidence that high-light a candidates potential for leadership. This kind of information helps us distinguish the very best candidates from a pool of many well-qualified ones.”
Hope this helps.
Bryant Michaels
MBA Admissions Consultant
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