Hello! This is my draft essay for the leadership section for Chevening. Your prompt response would be very appreciated. Thank you!
Earlier this August 2018, my law firm was trusted with a case which involved an organization funded by the government of Japan in cooperation with the government of Indonesia, which promotes the use of environment-friendly energy for public transportations in Indonesia.
My superior gathered my colleagues and me to discuss the case. Although I was the youngest team member, I didn't feel discouraged and sit there quietly. Having conducted an extensive amount of research independently, I was able to speak up during the discussion and explain the essence of the case meticulously. On top of that, I was brave enough to express my suggestions and ideas for the team and come up with an improved way to approach the case, e.g., I proposed the team to initiate a site-visit instead of a simple e-mail correspondence for a better comprehension of the project, I was also able to explain the relevant regulations and the respective ministerial office to reach for assistance in the legal and technical aspects of the case.
The majority of the team agreed to implement my ideas and it was proven to be effective. The site visit to the Client's premise helped the team to understand the scope of the case better and having perused the relevant regulations along with the assistance of the officers in the ministry regarding the technical and legal aspects that I suggested, we were able to determine the issue at hand accurately. Due to this, my superior ended up choosing me as the leader for this case.
However, I was faced with an interesting challenge in leading my team. Because of the age gap, my team was not very comfortable in getting directions from me. I realize that I need to eliminate hierarchy in order to make my team and I work harmoniously. Therefore, I arranged a team dinner for my team and I. During the dinner, I told my team that I was incredibly grateful for the opportunity to lead them. I also remind them that despite the roles assigned in the team, we shared the same goals in this case and that I was counting on their ability and experience to move the team toward our goals.
The establishment of mutual trust, enhanced communication and the reminder of our mutual goals managed to motivate my team to be more cooperative. The next day, I gathered my team and presented a list of activities that needed to be done for the case. I asked my team to indicate their strongest and weakest points in each activity. Through my communicative approach, I was able to successfully delegated the tasks responsibly based on their abilities, supply all the required information and allow adequate time for my team to complete the task.
mutual trust, enhanced communication, mutual goals
Earlier this August 2018, my law firm was trusted with a case which involved an organization funded by the government of Japan in cooperation with the government of Indonesia, which promotes the use of environment-friendly energy for public transportations in Indonesia.
My superior gathered my colleagues and me to discuss the case. Although I was the youngest team member, I didn't feel discouraged and sit there quietly. Having conducted an extensive amount of research independently, I was able to speak up during the discussion and explain the essence of the case meticulously. On top of that, I was brave enough to express my suggestions and ideas for the team and come up with an improved way to approach the case, e.g., I proposed the team to initiate a site-visit instead of a simple e-mail correspondence for a better comprehension of the project, I was also able to explain the relevant regulations and the respective ministerial office to reach for assistance in the legal and technical aspects of the case.
The majority of the team agreed to implement my ideas and it was proven to be effective. The site visit to the Client's premise helped the team to understand the scope of the case better and having perused the relevant regulations along with the assistance of the officers in the ministry regarding the technical and legal aspects that I suggested, we were able to determine the issue at hand accurately. Due to this, my superior ended up choosing me as the leader for this case.
However, I was faced with an interesting challenge in leading my team. Because of the age gap, my team was not very comfortable in getting directions from me. I realize that I need to eliminate hierarchy in order to make my team and I work harmoniously. Therefore, I arranged a team dinner for my team and I. During the dinner, I told my team that I was incredibly grateful for the opportunity to lead them. I also remind them that despite the roles assigned in the team, we shared the same goals in this case and that I was counting on their ability and experience to move the team toward our goals.
The establishment of mutual trust, enhanced communication and the reminder of our mutual goals managed to motivate my team to be more cooperative. The next day, I gathered my team and presented a list of activities that needed to be done for the case. I asked my team to indicate their strongest and weakest points in each activity. Through my communicative approach, I was able to successfully delegated the tasks responsibly based on their abilities, supply all the required information and allow adequate time for my team to complete the task.