MBA Application Leadership Qualities - Reaching Out

Leaders possess an innate ability to reach out to the marginalized, the underdogs, and the “odd one out”. This seems an unnecessary chore but leaders understand that to get the team to work as a single unit there should not be an ‘odd one out’ that affects the team spirit.

We had a star performer in our company whom people hated. The man in his mid-30s had a family, and the burden of managing the family was worn in his sleeves. He had no time for silly discussions, and when team meets every week, he was sure to miss the fun. As a team, you are likely to meet some aberrations and the leaders in our case – the manager did not find it worthwhile to convince the senior team member to join the discussion. He was a critical piece in the puzzle when it came to solving complex problems. With a new project, leadership changed, and the new Manager was hell bent on finding the root cause.

Instead of avoiding the star performer, the Manager engaged with him, talked about the challenges, and obtained valuable inputs about the project. He wanted to get reviews about team members. Initially, the reclusive star performer hesitated to give inputs but with persistent prompting, he spelled out the problem – “My time is precious, and I am often bombarded by silly questions that can be answered if they searched the knowledge base of our company”.  

With an understanding as to why the star performer remains isolated, the Manger started spending time on the knowledge base of the company – a Q&A search application that documented common problems and step-by-step solutions. Interestingly, the search feature was broken, and the 'Star Performer' answered the maximum number of questions. He was justified to be angry with the team, and that reflected in his absence from group activities. A small fix in the system reversed the team spirit. Team members started appreciating the Star Performer’s contribution, and the “comment” section saw “Thank you” notes in hundreds, even from other departments.

The Manager found this the right opportunity for bringing back the “star performer” to the weekly Group Discussion. He had no hesitation this time around. By persisting with solving the HR puzzle, the leader brought a valuable asset back to the team. The result – faster solutions to complex problems, a willingness by the “star performer” to mentor team members, and respect from other team members for each other’s time.

The ability to reach out is a trait clearly visible in leaders. When you work in a professional environment, opportunities to reach out are many. Have you played a key role in reaching out to a colleague or team member that eventually lifted the team spirit? Cite that example in your MBA Application. The Admission committee respects candidates who have the gift of solving people problem. These traits cannot be taught.