Haas MBA students selected for the IBD (International Business Development) consulting engagement, apart from sharing the tourist getaways, share a poignant observation - while discussing the client and their customers from thousands of miles away, they lacked the perspective on the ground realities. The statistics were too impersonal. When they reached on-site, the real challenges for enterprises to overcome infrastructural limitations and price sensitivity became apparent. The wealthy markets where most post-MBA employers operate are in stark contrast to the non-profit engagements in developing economies.
The obvious question is, did you have a similar experience where your leadership shined with limitations?
Limited budget, human resources, and technology are the straws on which leadership legends are made. Without working within the limitations, you would never think out of the box, persuade the team to take a risky detour or find solutions that are not obvious.
Problem: In this example, the applicant mentions the thin margin he had in allocating a marketing budget. Since the applicant worked in a startup where multiple roles are the norm, the second responsibility was to create strategies that limit yearly attrition.
Berkeley Haas Leadership Principle: Beyond Yourself, Questioning the Status Quo
Theme: Adaptability, Failure
Theme (Explained): When the attrition in the startup hit a record high, the applicant went back to the team and asked them about their motivation. Many, despite realizing at a top level that their contributions are impacting low-income and less privileged families, couldn’t find purpose in their work.
By breaking down the motivation of the team, the applicant re-frames the impact of the company’s products and services on a wider section of society. The awareness of the IMPACT puts a brake on attrition. The applicant, after citing the leadership focus of the Haas MBA curriculum, frames the leadership qualities he values the most.
Admission Consultant’s Note – Innovative but Simple Ideas in Essays
Nothing makes me happier than reading about a solution in a simple human narrative. It is an art form. I highly suggest that you talk about your solution to an outsider – a friend or a relative, not from the industry. You will be surprised at your communication skills when you understand who your audience is. Every reviewer should feel smarter or emotionally moved or both after reading your essay or listening to your narrative.
Opener: I want to establish the resource constraint under which the applicant worked and share when ‘frugality’ became an integral value for the applicant.
Strategy: My strategy is to share a problem – attrition, the solution to the problem, and demonstrate the impact and then quote a course on leadership from Haas MBA curriculum to indicate that the applicant would like to learn and apply leadership development skills from the Haas curriculum.
2 Minutes: 232 words
Profile: Consultant
Industry: Non-Profit
Beneficiary: Employer
Traits: Intellectual Curiosity, Open Mindedness
Skill: Leadership
Speed: Medium to Fast
250 words: Medium
250 words – 300 words: Medium to Fast
300 words and above: Fast
Berkeley Haas MBA Embody Four Defining Principles Video Essay (Questioning the Status Quo, Beyond Yourself) (Adaptability, IMPACT Oriented and Intellectual Curiosity) (232 Words)
Q) The Berkeley MBA program develops leaders who embody our four Defining Leadership Principles. Briefly introduce yourself to the admissions committee, explain which Defining Leadership Principle resonates most with you, and tell us how you have exemplified the principle in your personal or professional life.
Please review the Defining Leadership Principles in advance and take time to prepare your answer before recording. You will be able to test your audio-visual connection before recording. Video essays should last 1-2 minutes and may not exceed 2 minutes.
When I began my career in a start-up, the return on our investment was calculated with the knowledge that if we overspent, the company would fail. Frugality became the greatest virtue. Because of the diverse responsibilities in a start-up, I ..
