Graduate schools, especially Business schools, require prospective applicants to write an essay exhibiting their leadership capabilities. The leadership personal statement aims to know about the candidate’s ability to lead and manage others.

While writing this essay, you must provide a real example where you demonstrated leadership and, as a result, made an impact and created value. A good leadership personal statement should also discuss any challenges you faced as a leader and what you learned from that experience. This essay helps admissions committees see whether you align with the graduate school’s core values and principles.

Here is an example of a leadership personal statement that helped the applicant get into top business schools in the US.

Sample Leadership Personal Statement for Graduate School

I initiated a project named ‘Lightening up the Lives’ to provide cheap power for households of the country’s biggest slum – the Nagasi colony, having 20,000+ minorities living without electricity. The low-income level of the colony dwellers left them without access to government-supplied electrical connections, which had high installation costs and tariffs. Additionally, the residents could not borrow from conventional banks without any collateral. Living in the heart of the country, the irony of their helplessness triggered the desire in me to create meaningful change in their lives.

I realized that solar energy could solve these people’s problems, given ample sunlight availability and lower installation costs. So I approached First Electric (Pvt) Ltd, the largest solar panel supplier in the world, for support on a pilot project. But the management’s risk averseness due to no collateral on offer became a stumbling block.

I proposed a customized microfinance strategy that made First Electric’s management more confident. First, I proposed leveraging community trust and referrals. Once people offered to finance started paying, new people were provided the funding that directly correlated with the number of new invitations. This way, the financed people had pressure from the colony to pay on time to avail of new financing.

I soon realized the limitation of this strategy as it would take years to lighten up the whole slum. I then approached different NGOs and other possible financing channels to fast-track the process. Despite being given cold shoulders by more than 20 such organizations, I found a ray of hope with USAID. USAID was initially unwilling to participate in the project due to politico-legal reasons. However, after multiple meetings with the management, I convinced them to do a pilot project. I connected USAID to First Electric, negotiated discounted offers for the panels, and with the initial USAID grant, I was able to provide solar panels to 250+ families within six months.

It was a challenging time that tested my patience and resolve. However, I learned creative problem-solving with my never-say-die attitude, which helped me face rejection. I also learned the power of effective communication and how teamwork can achieve higher goals.

The happiness I created in the lives of people who had given up hope of having electricity in their homes is a proud achievement. However, the recognition I received from State Minority Minister was truly humbling as he said: “You are a perfect example of courage, innovation, and determination. I do not doubt if God gives you more strength, you can change the fate of many.”