Scholarship / "It is the art of getting someone to do what you want to do because he wants to do it" Chevening app [4]

LEADERSHIP AND INFLUENCE QUESTION
Chevening is looking for individuals that will be future leaders or influencers in their home countries. Explain how you meet this requirement, using clear examples of your own leadership and influencing skills to support your answers. (50-500 words)

LEADERSHIP AND INFLUENCE QUESTIONS
​One of my best leadership definitions was given by President Dwight David Eisenhower and it says that it is the art of getting someone to do what you want to do because he wants to do it. Many leadership definitions include the ability to influence, inspire, rally, direct, encourage, motivate, induce, move, mobilize and motivate others to pursue a common goal or purpose. I have functioned as a leader in various capacities and had to apply these in carrying out my assignment as the leader of those teams.

​I assumed leadership position early in life, especially on the home front being the first and eldest child in the family being held responsible for every member of the families actions and having to lead by example. I have not only attended leadership trainings, both locally and internationally, but also given myself to reading books on leadership and learning from other senior leaders around me.

​Every year since 2009, I have attended the video cast program of the Global Leadership Summit (GLS) organized by Bill Hybels at the Willow Creek Church in Chicago. At the conference I have listened to persons like JIM COLLINS, BRENE BROWN, LIZ WISEMAN and co.

​During my undergraduate studies, I was selected to be group leader for our group assignment in strategic management. There were 45 groups in all as the class consisted 3 departments. My group was to do an analysis on the case study of Arthur Andersen and Enron Scandal which was going to be presented in both a written and verbal report in a class seminar. This carried 30% of our total assessment score for the semester, hence, there was need to work hard. I applied the leadership skills of strategic thinking, time management, delegation, action planning, foresight, mobilization and motivation. We held a meeting and agreed to do our individual home work and put our pieces of work together in the next meeting. We did not hold just two meetings but several meetings to rehearse our report so that if anyone of us was asked a question, such person could answer well. Then we selected the most eloquent of us. We also had only five minutes to give our report, hence we needed someone to draw our analysis diagram while our main speaker gave the report. I suggested to the group that we wore a uniform for our presentation and after a few arguments we finally agreed. We eventually emerged the best group for that assignment and scored the highest of the groups that presented. We were also given a bonus for our uniform. I simply mobilized and coordinated and organized my team, leading them to victory. Most importantly, I was able to make them do what I wanted them to do because they wanted to do it and it was for our own good.