Hi @elsx
This is a great question, and I understand why the wording might be a little confusing.
The question asks you to showcase an example where you’ve taken responsibility for others. As @Ram Sabaratnam explained, this is really about demonstrating your leadership skills, accountability, and the impact you had in managing, guiding, or supporting a group. It’s also a chance to show how you respond under pressure or in challenging situations.
To address this, I highly recommend structuring your answer using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). This ensures your response is clear, organised, and impactful.
I’ve provided a short snippet as an example below:
1. Situation
- Start by describing the context.
- What was happening? What was the environment like? Who was involved, and why did you need to step up?
- Keep this section concise but detailed enough for the reader to understand the importance of the situation.
- For example: During my role as the team lead for a university project, our group of six faced significant challenges when two members unexpectedly dropped out, leaving us behind schedule.
2. Task
- Clarify your specific responsibility in this situation.
- What goal or problem were you addressing?
- This is where you highlight the responsibility you took on for others.
- For example: My task was to reorganise the remaining team, ensure we met our deadlines, and deliver a comprehensive report despite the reduced manpower.
3. Action
- This is the most important part—focus on your contribution.
- Be specific about what you did to manage the situation. What actions did you take to lead, support, or ensure the group succeeded?
- Think about how you delegated, communicated, or solved problems.
- For example: I scheduled a team meeting to reassess our workload, reallocated tasks to balance the increased responsibilities, and stepped in to cover some of the more technical aspects of the project. To keep morale high, I held regular check-ins and created a shared document to track our progress transparently.
4. Result
- Highlight the positive outcome and tie it back to your leadership.
- Focus on measurable achievements where possible.
- For example: As a result, we completed the project on time and also received the highest grade in the class. Additionally, two team members personally thanked me for my support and leadership, which motivated them to stay committed to the project despite the challenges.
Additional Tips:
- Emphasise leadership skills: Focus on attributes like initiative, empathy, adaptability, and effective communication.
- Keep it concise: While detailed, your answer should remain focused on the key points. Avoid tangents.
- Choose a strong example: If possible, select an example that demonstrates leadership in a professional or academic setting, as these are most relevant to Arnold & Porter’s context.
Goodluck with the apps!!!
@Amma Usman Thank you very much !
