How does an MBA applicant tell a story in the context of applying to business school?

For MBA Question on leadership you have to talk about your leadership skills in general terms without providing examples or elaboration. When answering the leadership question, your goal should be three-fold: Identify your specific leadership traits, show examples of those attributes, and reveal the impact you had.

1. Identify Your Leadership Skills

First, look critically at your experiences. Can you think of instances in which you led people to action? In what ways did you motivate? Have there been situations when you’ve stood up, taken the reins, and won the trust of others? What steps did you take? What specific talents and qualities did you access to inspire and persuade? Don’t think about the broad term, “leadership”; focus on1-3 of leadership’s sub-qualities: initiative, vision, integrity, empathy, listening, responsibility, reliability, planning, etc.

2. Show How You Lead

When detailing your leadership experiences, feel free to think outside the box…er, the office. Not every example needs to originate at work, and don’t concentrate solely on classic hierarchical situations with titles. Instead, consider less obvious examples, like inspiring your college cheer  leading squad or coaching your brother’s Little League baseball team. Still drawing a blank? Have you ever initiated and organized a clothing drive? Managed a band? Led a fundraising initiative? Campaigned for a local politician? Strong leadership examples come in all shapes and sizes.

3. Reveal Your Impact

Top MBA programs want to admit people who make a difference, who leave a void when they depart. The recent outpouring of tribute to Steve Jobs at his resignation from Apple testifies to his super-sized contribution to his company, his industry, the world. You don’t have to reveal that kind of impact. However, the best way to show potential for significant impact in the future is to show you have contributed in the past.  How did your leadership make a difference to individuals? To your organization? To your community? What was the impact of the experience on you? How did you grow from it?

GOOD LUCK Ms. Ghada.....

According to Seth Gilmore, Tuck MBA and Senior Admissions Consultant, The MBA Exchange.

 Here are the five crucial components to telling a story in the context of applying to business school.  His best advice is to include each component in the following order:

1.    Problem 

 "Here’s the problem or opportunity I encountered..."  This is where you lay the groundwork for your story.  You invite the reader in and make sure he or she is properly oriented in order to fully appreciate the rest of your story.  Having worked with a lot of highly intelligent and extremely accomplished clients over the years at The MBA Exchange, I'm nonetheless amazed to find, year after year, that nearly every single one of them begins their work with me whilst suffering from the same pervasive affliction – “occupational myopia.”  That is, they are unable to clearly explain to others what it is that they do for a living.  Instead, they simply assume that the reader already understands their professional world, the insider lingo, etc.  Yuuuuuuge mistake.  The likelihood is that the reader does not understand your world; and your essay, which assumes that they do, winds up confusing if not insulting them.  If there's a more direct route to the “application denied” pile, I haven't seen it.

2.    Analysis 

 "Here is how I tackled the problem, who I spoke to, the strategy I devised."  This is where you demonstrate your ability to think strategically, like an MBA student.  What was the thought process that led you to act the way you did?  What alternatives did you consider?  How did you choose the best one?

3.    Action 

 "Here is the action I took based on my analysis."  Having said how you decided to do it, here's where you actually do, do it.  Keep it short.  Keep it sweet.  Most applicants spend the bulk of their essays here, boring the reader to death with their turgid exploits.  You should spend the least amount of time here -- it's purely functionary.

4.    Result 

 "Here is what happened as a result of the action that I took."  Pretty simple, right?  I did X, and Y was the astonishing result.  Don't feel like you always need to be the hero, though.  The adcom will have read thousands of stories, the vast majority of which A) end on this step and B) tend toward boastfulness.  It gets dull.  Once in a while, consider failure.  Don't be afraid to tell a story in which you, with the best of intentions, screwed up.  If you convey it just right, this story element can demonstrate your humility, your maturity and your capacity to learn.

5.    Lesson/Insight 

 "Here is what I learned from this experience, here's what I now think, here's why this was important."  This is by far the most important component of your story but amazingly, many applicants leave it out entirely!  Ideally this will take up a full third of your word count because this is where you truly demonstrate your management potential.  Done well, this is where you'll make a strong, positive impression upon the reader about your true potential as a student, classmate and future leader.

On sum, lucky me now granted, that's a lot of stuff to cram into a short essay, say one with a 500-word limit.  But this is where a professional admissions consultant can be especially helpful to me, by ensuring that I  include all of the required components, that I keep them in order and that I do so authentically and economically.  Why not begin the process of planning and crafting my own story today, with afree, expert analysis of my MBA candidacy.

I agree with Mr. Mohammed. Thanks

The best thing to do is just to share a real-life leadership example that you've been through either with a team member or a colleague. Nothing can be more powerful and effective than personal stories that happened to you. You share a short story not to get the interviewer distracted by too many details, and then make a strong conclusion about how it reflects on your leadership skills. 

The answer may be based on following guidelines:

1.     The story shall be a genuine one and based on recent remarkable facts.

2.     The story must have excellent output or achievement or increase in profit or increase in market share or measurable cost reduction which has resulted in profit margin and any significant innovation.

3.     The story shall demonstrate your leadership, commitment, team work, drive for result, communication, analytical skill, honesty and integrity (or most of these qualities).

4.     Try to mention the challenges you faced or just leave it for the interviewer to ask you. (However, you should be prepared to answer the question” What challenges did you face and how did you solved it”?) 

I would suggest you to start with your positive introduction, i.e., the strengths, usually the more interested and your area of interest and then your action plan for sustaining and improving and also about your weakness and explaining the actions taken to improve upon.

All Business Schools desire to know how their MBA will add value to the applicant.  In a normal course, applicants are given a case study and then asked to make or take decision that reveals how effective you would become.

Agreed with Mr. Mohammad,

I suggest in the interviews to show your knowledge , your skills and experiences and then the goals which you have met before, for leadership there are many resources and subjects that you can talk about and you can talk about your previous team management. in case somebody doesn't have such experience he can talk about the way he manage his team for a sport or even his travels or camping.

Thanks for invitation

I am  agreeing with my colleague’s answer  Mr. Mohammed

Thanks

Good & Clever example colleague Mohammad added , and i support his answer

I agree with experts answers, thanks for the invitation. ..