Before Writing MBA Application Essays - Find your Leadership Style: Autocratic, Delegative or Democratic?

Leadership Essay is a common essay in most MBA Application. Although you might not get a direct question about your leadership style, AdCom would like to get a peek into how you behave when assigned with higher responsibilities. The tone, the action steps, and the results that you mention in the essays give hints about your leadership style.

Leadership styles can be classified into three categories: Autocratic, Democratic and Delegative.

1) Autocratic

A bossy leader giving commands is what comes to our mind when we think about Autocratic leadership. There is nothing wrong with this leadership. Some of the best CEOs are autocrative or authoritarian. Steve Jobs is the best example. He often used to delegate the creative aspects of product design to his team, but when it came to picking the final design for the product, it was Steve Jobs way or the highway. These leaders will have a high standard of quality and would not settle until they get the best from the team.

When it comes to MBA Application, portraying such leadership can be detrimental in getting into a top Business School. You would not be leading a company but collaboratively working with other would-be team leaders. Taking authoritative stand during team activities can often lead to conflicts and low morale. However, autocratic leadership style can be most effective during a crisis when you as a leader have the best overview about the problem. Be careful how you portray yourself when mentioning such instances. It should be more about the problem in hand and why you took such a leadership style.

2) Delegative

This is the second most common leadership style seen among leaders. Most experts argue that delegative leadership is often the least effective. This style of leadership might work in a team where all the members are qualified and are equally motivated. In reality, team members need guidance and positive reinforcement to solve tough customer problems.

If you have worked in teams where most of them has over 5 years of experience, then highlighting the delegative leadership style can be effective. You can mention how you created the project plan, developed the strategies, and delegated the tasks according to the team member’s motivation and qualification. Your ability to identify the motivation and resourcefulness of the team members shows you skills in talent scouting. Identifying motivation is a quality that some of the best leaders have. Your ability to align personal motivation with the project goals is a skill that is highly valuable in a Business School learning environment.

3) Democratic

The second most effective leadership style and the least common one seen in the corporate world is the Democratic leadership style. In this type of leaderships, inputs are taken from the team members and the best solution is picked. Studies show that under such leadership, decisions are relatively slow, but since the leader had received the buy-in for the idea, the quality of the output is much higher than Autocratic and Delegative leadership styles. The leader often coach the team members about the various steps that are required to solve the problem and gives a bird’s eye view on the goals.

For MBA Application, by mentioning such a leadership style, you will get the opportunity to show your communication, coaching, and team building skills. While leading a team, the most common cited reason for conflict is the lack of open discussion about a solution. By specifying instances where you convinced your team members to choose a particular solution over the other, you can show the AdCom about your influence and communication skills.

Although your leadership style can fall under one category, a better strategy would be to mention an instant where you combined these three leadership styles and solved a complex customer problem.

Autocratic -> Time Sensitive Problems (Crisis)
Democratic -> Initial Phase of the Project
Delegative -> Select Group in your Team (More Experienced and Motivated)

Click Here and Find More Leadership Narratives that you can use in MBA Application Essays