Hi, I'm planning on submitting this essay for Chevening Scholarship, hope you can help me with my essay. Thank you.
LEADERSHIP & INFLUENCE
My very first experience to lead was to design for United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and University of Indonesia (UI) joint HQ in my second year working as a professional. It was a public tender project and my company was chosen to participate among other 6 local architecture consultants. Due to our condition as a small company, we didn't have enough people and resources to cover the design outputs in 2 weeks of work; there were only 2 designers available. We address this shortage problems by dividing the tasks based on the priority order on which space had more importance. I also initiated and consulted the idea to outsource part timers to help me and my team managing the documentations and administrations, so that I had more time and energy to focus on achieving the company's vision to win the tender. As the result, my company came out as the winner despite our shortcoming in minor areas. From this rigorous opportunity, I learn to make quick but effective decisions, delegating tasks to other people, and to voice my own opinion to higher authority.
In 2017, I pushed myself to take bigger role as I was trusted in my next company to become the lead project designer for the company's charity project called CT Arsa Foundation in Sukoharjo, Central Java. CT Arsa School complex is an 80.000 m2 high school facility. It focuses on an endowment program for Indonesian students whose families are economically disadvantaged, but excel in academic abilities. The school is limited to only 200 students but equipped with complete facilities.
In this project, my main role was to conceptualize, assigned specific jobs to contractors, checked on their progress, and helped established and meet the deadlines. With that responsibility, I had to lead and work with several managers within different fields. I made sure every people in charge felt heard, whilst kept note what to ignore and pay attention to, because in big project I dealt with big data too. We built library, labs, classrooms, student housings, and gallery as the place to showcase any crafts or creations made by the students. During the development, I also involved in the fundraising event of this project in creating the visual contents that were displayed in the presentation for potential donors and publication on CT Arsa social media. Currently, the school is already running and providing the students who come from different regions of Indonesia, the best education program so that these students are able to break the chain of poverty through excellent edification.
From these experiences, I realize as an advocate type of leader, I have a vision in creating new precedent regarding space design and technology that will able to intertwine with museums or cultural heritage and education system for younger generation. For that, Chevening will be the place to find potential collaborators through its alumni network. Not only that, I will also have opportunity to expand my leadership and influencing capacity.Hi, thank you for sharing your essay.
When I read this essay, I feel so inspired because of what you do. I also can feel you write this essay very comprehensif such as
first paragraph --> you show the reader that you have strong influencing skill in professional working environment.
second paragraph --> I see what type the leaders is you and how you create an impact for society by building high school. maybe you might have to highlight how you lead those manager within different fields.
and the last paragraph, you close it with good sentences!
Goodluck!
Holt Educational Consultant - / 14,844 
4786 Cyntia, your essay is definitely strong in leadership skills, but failing in influencing skills. Simply knowing how to delegate, but not how to inspire nor influence your team mates or subordinates does not equate to an influencing skill. You must show how you led the team during a time of distress or question of your leadership in order to prove an influencing skill.
Your essay is extremely based on your leadership qualities, that is a good thing. However, an effective leader must know how to inspire his subordinates towards a successful project or influence others of a negative thinking into a positive thought process for the good of the team / project. That reference is not seen in this essay which is why your influencing skills come across as lacking or wanting all throughout the presentation.
You don't need to describe the projects, you need to use the work that you did as the leader of the project in terms of your influencing abilities. A revision of this essay is in order. You have to balance your leadership with your influencing skills by taking out the superfluous mentions of the project specifics. The project mission is all that matters. How you handled the people in times of problems or discord is important because that shows the type of influential leader that you are. It helps to deliver the idea that you will be a national leader and influencer in the future.
Highlight the USAID project for most of this essay. That is impressive and showcases the international aspect of your leadership and influencing abilities. Explain how your role as leader and influencer with the USAID project prepared you to become an even better leader and influencer with the CT Arsa Foundation. Connecting the two projects should strengthen the leadership and influencing presentation of your essay.
