Winning ISB Essay Sample

Describe with examples the most important personal quality that you possess that significantly enhances your prospects of being successful as a leader?

My father’s unwavering determination and resilience in the face of adversities and financial challenges inspired me to pursue a path of education. “Education unlocks opportunities,” he would always say, and he proved it by transforming our family of traditional farmers into engineers, all while revolutionizing our farming practices with modern techniques. Under my father’s invaluable guidance, I learned the virtues of learning agility and persuasion, which have become a cherished part of my life.

Eager to explore new horizons and compete with the brightest minds in the country, I mustered up the courage to convince my parents to allow me to pursue higher education 200 miles away from home at the tender age of 16. Embarking on this new adventure to a bustling city as a teenager all by myself, I left no stone unturned in my relentless pursuit of a good education, eventually securing a scholarship for my engineering degree.

Beginning my career at TCS, I worked with Avis as a Quality Assurance engineer, where I employed agile project management techniques to improve the product development life cycle time by a staggering 30% on forecasting and revenue management applications. Equipped with industry best practices, I then joined Company ABC to explore new opportunities in the telecommunications space.

Working in a multinational firm, I made a conscious effort to embrace an inclusive mindset and be culturally agile. In one of my early assignments, I faced a challenge of poor deliverable quality, which required quick thinking and effective communication. I created opportunities for open dialogue, rallied the team, and got the project deliverables back on track. The appreciations I received from my manager for my efforts as a new joiner fueled my confidence, and soon I was entrusted with more significant international projects.

My career took me across four continents, where I encountered numerous challenges and obstacles. During a critical project in Madrid, Spain, in 2017, the Central Warehouse Manager was struggling with the quality assurance of the software, jeopardizing the User Acceptance Test (UAT) deadline and potentially costing Company ABC millions. I took charge of the situation, initiating meetings, understanding her perspective, and negotiating with stakeholders to develop an efficient test plan. With hard work and determination, we completed the UAT a week before the deadline, and I even went the extra mile to create Spanish training modules collaborating with the local team, despite the language barrier, saving Company ABC’s training cost in the Spanish market. Impressed by my dedication and hustle, the management rewarded me with an early promotion.

Throughout my journey, I have supported Company ABC’s go-to-market strategy and launch planning in various markets, which has afforded me the opportunity for cultural immersion and world exploration. In the past seven years, while traveling and dealing with international offices, I have quickly adapted to different environments, forged strong connections, and built lasting friendships. Comfortable with new and unknown experiences, I have embraced them wholeheartedly, and I am confident that this personal quality will continue to guide me as I pursue a leadership role in my career.