Graduate / 2nd Application Essay - Global MBA Program University of Hawaii [2]

Hi, this is my second application essay. I would much appreciate it if you can provide any thoughts, tips, or corrections.

overcoming a challenge essay

Question: Describe the most difficult situation that you've encountered and explain how you handled it. Also, what lessons did you learn from the experience?

The most difficult challenge I have encountered as a leader is becoming the president of XXX. When I worked as a project manager for XXX, our workers respected and followed me because the company paid for them. Even if they did not like me, they had no choice.

XXX, on the other hand, is an organization that depends on the willingness of the members. No one in the club gets paid. It is the members who need to pay the bi-annual membership fees and club dues. Since the members and officers are not getting paid, there is no financial motivation for them to follow or respect me as their president.

Also, most of the members are older and way more successful than me. The oldest is a 61-year-old chemical engineer. As a struggling young entrepreneur in his 20s, the first thing that came into my mind when I was elected was, "How will I make these people respect and follow me."

I handled this difficult situation by implementing a simple strategy - listen but be decisive.

A few weeks after getting elected, I approached the senior members and asked for their advice on how to run the organization effectively. I did this because I genuinely needed guidance, but more importantly, I wanted to show them that I respected and valued their voice.

Also, I informed all the members that I was open to their suggestions and that they can approach me if they think that they have better solutions regarding the different challenges faced by the club. Most of the time, the advice that they gave were excellent. However, there were a few occasions when their ideas were impractical or illogical.

As a leader, I came up with the rule never to silence my members no matter how bad their ideas are. In a world where people prefer to talk, it can be refreshing to offer the gift of a silent mouth and open ears. By listening, I gained the affinity and trust of the members.

Though I am open to ideas and suggestions, I have made it explicitly clear to my members that I, as the president, have the final say. They can suggest, and I will carefully consider their suggestions, but it is I who will make the final decision.

For example, after getting elected, I immediately implemented the policy of starting the bi-monthly meetings strictly on time. Before becoming president, the meetings began 30 minutes to an hour late because we had to wait for the majority of the members to arrive. When I presented this policy to the club, I was met with resistance. Many members did not like the policy, citing several excuses such as traffic jams, hectic work schedules, bad weather, and the like. Having been exposed to the punctuality of the Japanese people, I was determined to start the meetings on time regardless of how many members were present.

For the first two months, the majority of the members would come in late. One senior member approached me and suggested that I should drop the policy since it did not produce any result. However, I was resolute in achieving my goal. I started to see results in the third month. Many members began to arrive early, including those who were known for being stubbornly late. Now, I am happy to stay that not only do we start on time but 90 percent of the club is no longer late. By being firm and decisive, I gained the respect of the members.

Becoming the president of XXX has taught me the valuable lesson that people respect and follow leaders who are firm and decisive, but at the same time, they want leaders who are willing to listen -- leaders who will appreciate and value their voice.

Graduate / 1st Essay - Global MBA Program, Shidler College of Business (University of Hawaii at Manoa) [5]

Core Leadership Values you represent

Hello guys! I am applying for admission to the Global MBA Program offered by the Shidler College of Business (University of Hawaii at Manoa). They require four essays. This is the first one. I would greatly appreciate it if you can provide any thoughts, tips, or corrections.

Question: What are the three most important values you demonstrate as a leader? Tell me a story that demonstrates each of these leadership values in practice within your workplace.

The three most important values I demonstrate as a leader are adaptability, courage, and commitment.

Adaptability

I worked as a project manager for XXX, from 2014 to 2018. Before this, I worked as a writer. One of my clients, XXX, saw my potential and asked me if I wanted to manage his start-up. A huge part of me wanted to say no because I did not possess the required knowledge and experience; however, a small yet powerful voice urged me to grab the opportunity.

The first four months were immensely difficult. Being a project manager was light years away from being a writer. My knowledge and experience about programming were limited, and yet I was managing a start-up that revolved around programming! In addition, I found myself leading a team of Indian and Eastern European programmers and American designers whose attitudes and work ethics were vastly different from that of the Filipinos'. The project was beyond my capability. I wanted to quit.

But once again, a small yet powerful voice urged me not to give up, telling me that if I wanted to survive I needed to adapt. And so I started learning as much as I can about programming, start-ups, and management by consuming online materials. More importantly, I started to have faith in myself. Every day, I would say, "I can do this".

Eventually, I learned my way around programming and became competent at managing our workers. I lasted as a project manager for four years not because I was super smart but because I learned how to adapt.

Courage

I am currently the president of XXX, which is an organization that helps people develop their leadership and public speaking skills. Last year, I got in conflict with the immediate past president (IPP) because he was micromanaging me and my officers. He was acting as if he was still the president. I tolerated his behavior for two months, but it eventually became toxic.

I wanted to confront him, but the norms of my society hindered me. Filipinos are known for being non-confrontational and onion-skinned. I was worried that he will get offended and leave the organization. I asked the senior members for advice, and their advice was not to disturb the status quo. They were also worried that if I confronted the IPP he will get offended and leave.

But I knew that the right thing to do was confront him and make him understand that his behavior was toxic not only for me but for the other officers. I needed to muster the courage to go against the norms of my society and risk losing him and displeasing the senior members.

True enough, the IPP got offended and left. The senior members got displeased too, but the risk I took paid off. The officers and I started to fulfill our responsibilities much more effectively; our trust and confidence as a team increased; there was less tension in the organization; and overall, the club functioned more smoothly. Eventually, the IPP realized that his behavior was toxic, and so earlier this year, we have reconciled. I am happy to say that he is now once again an active member.

Commitment

In October 2018, I had to move from XXX to XXX to set up a small factory for product development and production; however, XXX is located on a separate island and is two hours away from XXX by airplane and car. When I informed the club that I was moving to XXX, the senior members asked me if I wanted to resign. I told them that I was committed to the club and that I was going to finish my term.

Despite the fact that I am terribly busy because of my start-up, I always make time every day to make sure that the club is running smoothly, from organizing the meetings to mentoring new members. In addition, I fly to XXX once a month to attend the meeting and fulfill my role as president. It is costly and time-consuming, but I am willing to spend effort, time, and money because I am committed to the club. As I said to one of my officers who doubted my commitment, "even if things become tough, I will remain committed to the club and to my position as president".