Two examples from my professional experience to illustrate my leadership and influencing skills

Chevening Leadership Essay

I will use two examples from my professional experience to illustrate my leadership and influencing skills.

First, in my current position, as an economic analyst in the "Government institution", I was selected as a member of the team preparing for (The big event). My task was to coordinate the output of two departments, building a comprehensive fact-based presentation, illustrating my country's potential to host foreign investment. My take on the task was to hunt for opportunities to better utilize the data resources my departments have access to, and to combine their expertise so that our output is bigger than the sum of its parts. My strategy was highly dependent on through communication. First, I focused on learning the current methodology with which my departments obtain their statistics, make conclusions and present their work. I shadowed team members and had lengthily one-on-one meetings with department heads. Then, I reported the possibilities to the board of consultants, based on the collective vision of all the concerned parties. My conclusion involved the need to use new software to make the data analysis process more efficient. Also, meetings with junior members were very fruitful; as together, we could brainstorm more valuable insights to drive from our data.

Second, in a past job, as a Quality Controller for (the company), my job entailed keeping an updated documentation system, describing the workflow of the organization. Few months into my job, I grew increasingly alarmed by the amount of time and paper wasted on keeping the documentation system updated for such a dynamic institution of 1000+ employees. Then, I came up with a plan to transfer our paper-based documentation system into a much more efficient computerized one. I designed a detailed mock-up, implemented using storage clouds to help me demonstrate the merits of my vision. Then, I presented the idea to my superiors, who applauded it; however, still I was confronted with the cost constraint. Trying to tackle the cost/benefit issue, I collaborated with colleagues from other departments to find ways through which we can demonstrate a bigger collective benefit from an electronic documentation system. Indeed, discussions with the HR department highlighted the benefits from easier HR policy communication. Besides, discussions with the customer complaints department reflected the percentage of errors recorded owing to miscommunication of procedural updates between different teams. I am proud to say that now, even though I am no longer an employee of the company, I could leave an impact with my idea that is now implemented and functioning.

In both examples, I believe that my persistence to push for new ideas, the due attention I give for formulating well researched concepts and my dependence on effective communication are my leadership and influencing assets. In the near future, I hope to use these skills in my current profession to bring about positive impact in my country that would extend to include many more individuals in need.

Elissa, this is an essay that shows the reviewer your efficiency as a rank and file employee who is accomplishing assigned tasks. This is not a leadership essay that highlights how you lead a team, influence decision making procedures, and enact changes that would prove that you have some sort of leadership abilities and influencing skills that can be developed by the Chevening experience. What you have to represent is a leadership attitude that asserts itself when surrounded by a group of people in the office who seem to be running around like headless chickens when faced with a pressure situation. Your job, is to show that you have the ability to calm down the situation, analyze the problem, and enact a solution that will make a difference. The implementation of the solution should carry a heavy influencing reference since the team will have to come together to support a decision, which you made, that they may not wholly support. How you convince the non supporters of your decision is what will tie the essay all together in the essence of the prompt.