MBA Sample Essays

Tuck Application

Prompt: Describe the characteristics of an exceptional manager by examining someone

whom you have observed or with whom you have worked. Illustrate how his or her
management style has influenced you.

In management consulting, strong analytical skills are valued as much as, if not more
than, effective managerial and leadership skills. Unfortunately, for some consultants,
these characteristics, at times, are mutually exclusive. I was fortunate, however, to
work with [name] on my first major project at [consulting firm]. As my project
manager, he demonstrated a superior combination of leadership, managerial, and
communication skills. As a result of our interaction, I learned several important lessons
and tools that I used on subsequent projects to improve my effectiveness as a team
leader.

To begin, [name] is a true leader who exhibits courage and dedication. A powerful trait
rarely found in the realm of business, courage is unique in its ability to unify and
motivate people. Moreover, his courage is balanced appropriately with professionalism,
strong values, and humility. He is sensitive to other's feelings and recognizes that
different people require different types of direction and treatment. Although he often
works with diverse and difficult groups, he always seems able to reach consensus and
create a shared vision and purpose. Furthermore, he excels at establishing priorities
and proactively setting direction.

As an effective manager, [name] also is able to translate his broad direction into
discrete, tangible tasks. Since consultants often use difficult or creative analytical
approaches, clearly articulating tasks and defining outputs is very important. In
addition, he exercises the appropriate level of supervision. Rather than micro-
managing his team members, [name] establishes clear accountabilities and
expectations and pushes work down to the correct level. As a result, he creates a
strong sense of ownership and leverages the skills of his team members. Furthermore,
he excels at creating a supportive environment and, when necessary, coaching team
members to help them develop new skills.

Finally, [name] is a masterful communicator. He is the only project manager I have had
who gave me consistent and constructive feedback, importantly, both positive and
negative. Such feedback not only provides clear developmental objectives, but also
signals to others that he values their contributions. This type of balanced and open
communication quickly forms the foundation of mutual trust and respect. Furthermore,
[name] excels in the art of negotiation and debate. He states his points with
remarkable precision and is expert at remaining objective and recognizing all sides of
an argument. And, regardless of the volatility of a situation or the strength of his
feelings, he always listens to all positions patiently and effectively controls his
demonstration of emotion, thereby gaining the respect of others and lending additional
credibility to his positions.

Given my limited experience managing teams, my exposure to [name] was central to

my early success at [consulting firm]. For example, although I had considered myself a
leader in athletics, I had not learned to translate those skills into the business arena.
[Name] taught me several effective methods to lead teams. Admittedly, as a highly
motivated young analyst with very high work standards, I also lacked many of the skills
required for effective team leadership. However, I quickly learned the importance of
flexibility and became more comfortable providing feedback and directing the work of
others. Furthermore, through his example, [name] taught me the importance of
objectivity and the utility of several effective communication techniques. For example, I
learned to use my sense of humor as an effective tool to persuade, disarm, or motivate
others.

Early in my career at [consulting firm], I had several rare opportunities to lead client
teams. In part due to the lessons I learned from [name], these projects were a great
success. As a result, I went on to manage a half dozen diverse and difficult client
teams that ranged in membership. With each project, I further refined the lessons I
learned from [name] and developed new techniques for leading and managing teams.
Due to my rapid development, I was promoted to [position], a managerial, post-M.B.A.
position at [consulting firm], signifying that I can progress to the partner level.
Although I realize my tool kit is far from complete, these skills will be invaluable both in
business school and beyond.