Scholarship / Leading three independent teams of 500 members. Chevening: Leadership & Influence Section [3]

chevening scholarship application essay

When I was handed the role of ___position___ at the __big event as a uni student in 2015___ (the largest student-led event in the region attracting 20,000+ attendees), I knew that leading three independent teams of 500 members would not be easy. As an advocate of macro-management, I took it upon myself to restructure the entire team hierarchical organization which has been failing from previous years due to lack of interest and commitment from members and ineffective communication between teams. I first assigned 3 team leaders for each team, then split the entire __bigevent___ space into 7 isolated regions and assigned 7 sub-team leaders for each region and for each team which provided me 21 sub-team leaders whom I chose through a series of interviews alongside their respective team leaders. I then created an intricate system, where the team leaders would hold fixed interval meetings with their teams, and sub-team leaders would have their own variable interval meetings where they would lead their meetings with their smaller teams. Moreover, I set for cross-team coordination meetings between sub-teams of the same region, in which a construction sub-team leader would meet to discuss with a decoration sub-team of the same region in order to coordinate and improve the quality of their designs.

By assembling this system, I was able to build a strong culture across all my teams as members played a larger role in their sub-teams, making them all stakeholders in the success of this event. In addition I would provide regular feedback and mentoring sessions to strengthen the leadership skills of my team and sub-team leaders, highlighting their areas of strength and recognizing their successes. I would also advise them in their areas of weakness, supporting them to grow as leaders. This system improved overall efficiency, and the construction and decoration of the event was finalized on a record pace. I am aware that my method of leadership is progressive, however I believe that the finest attribute a true leader can possess is helping others around him or her grow and allow this impact to be sustained even after their absence. As we used to say during my years of ___sport___ at __university___, a team is as strong as its weakest link. Hence, I believe nurturing forms of leadership are the only ways teams can truly reach their potential.

I continue to use this method of leadership on the construction site in my professional life. As a Site Engineer on my construction project I have successfully reorganized my workforce and currently have 8 Foremen and 30 Leadmen whom I collectively work with. I inspire my team to grow, and I have offered them workshops in AutoCAD and green construction (as I am an accredited Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design professional). I am determined to continue stimulating individuals through the support of Chevening and its global alumni community and lead the change in my profession by inciting positive and sustainable change in __mycountry__.