The Application Process

essay topic: C. Cite at least one example in which your leadership impacted or changed a situation and discuss how you think IE Business School will help you refine, focus, or enhance this skill.

answer

As I mention on the previous essay I own a company and is responsible for all major decisions concerning the company. This situation has tested my leadership skills on different phases. The crisis management phase and the company restructure phase. I believe I did and still doing an alright job but I can be improved. Now I will try to explore more on both of those phases.
The crisis management phase has present two different situations and tests of my leadership skills. First situation, when I was negotiating the terms with the tax authorities. I believe managing a deal with the tax authorities saved the company from instant shut down, but I believe I didn't manage the best deal especially when it came to the reduction of the amount due. I always manage to lose ground in the final negotiations, but I believe the core period 3 will help improve my negotiating skills and make me finalize better deals. Second situation, we I was trying to raise the required money. I believe I resorted to some good means of raising the required finances especially when I sold the flats. On the other hand I made a wrong decision when I offered the clients a twenty five percent discount on the debts, which I believe had hurt us more than saved us. This was a reaction to a situation but I believe with the IMBA will provide me with the knowledge and skills to plan ahead and to better anticipate crisis before they happen. We can never change the past but we can always try to avoid past mistakes in the future, knowing that I believe the company restructuring phase will be the most important test
The company restructuring phase started during the crisis phase and continues till this day. During the crisis phase, I decided to shut down the construction division due to losses. Now I am planning to reopen it but with a changed vision: instead of targeting the class A clients, I am planning to target the economic housing sector. This move will require a lot of planning, budgeting and marketing. I believe that IMBA will help me enhance my business planning abilities and provide me with the required knowledge to venture into this new market.


is this essay on the right track or off topic

While you describe interesting and responsible situations, they are largely individual actions on your part. In asking about leadership, B-schools are looking for times when you took formal or informal leadership of a group. Management, after all, is getting things done through people. Questions such as this are looking for responses that involve operating in groups. As company owner, you must regularly lead your employees. Think about how and why you have done this. Try to identify your personal management style and how it has contributed to your success.

Also, you have put an unnecessarily negative slant on your responses. The question doesn't ask for failures or mistakes. An experienced admissions consultant could help you position your activities more positively as well as improve the overall quality of your writing.

Tani