Highlight Leadership When Applying to Business School
Posted on Wed, May 06, 2009 @ 06:15 PM
Summer is almost here and, with it, so are business school applications. I recently read a article titled "Make Your Leadership Case for B-School Admission" by BusinessWeek. It outlines one of the key characteristics business schools look for in candidates - leadership. So why is leadership so important? Quoting Stacy Blackman from the article, "It's about leaving a footprint on whatever situation you're in and doing more than a good job. Leadership is not a solo effort. You're inspiring others and bringing out the best in them." In a sense, leadership shows a likelihood to inspire change among teams or organizations and push boundaries.
The article outlines several steps you can take to build your leadership skills. Below are a few that jumped out at me:
- Recruit new employees at your alma mater
Early in your career it's often hard to nail the high-profile projects that enable you to develop your leadership skills. Utilize something relatively unique to you - your connection with your undergraduate school - to help recruit new candidates, build your network, and mentor those joining your company. - Solve a problem, big or small
You can find problems or better ways of doing things everywhere. Taking the initiative to solve a problem shows true leadership skills. - Take risks
Someone once said "The policy of being too cautious is the greatest risk of all". Taking risks shows that you're not afraid to stand out from the crowd or go against the grain. - Envision your impact on the school's community
What clubs or programs are you interested in participating in? Define how you would contribute to these groups, programs and to the school, in general.
All in all, the common theme I read throughout the article was that it's important to take the initiative to inspire positive change around you. Admissions appears to look at past behavior as an indicator of future performance. Whether you're planning to someday apply to business school or not, start building those leadership skills using the tips above. FWL encourages all members to get involved in the organization as a way to help build leadership skills, especially those that you might not be developing at work. Let us know if you're interested. Read the entire article here.