Today, companies must navigate through complex and interdependent issues. They must deal with health and security matters, environmental impact questions, and diversity and cultural concerns. Leaders need adaptability, imagination, and emotional intelligence as well as business acumen.
Upon graduation with your Duke MBA, you will be a leader of consequence, able to deal simultaneously with complex matters and engage skillfully with colleagues, clients, and community. What impact do you hope to have as a leader of consequence?
Today, companies must navigate through complex and interdependent issues. They must deal with health and security matters, environmental impact questions, and diversity and cultural concerns. Leaders need adaptability, imagination, and emotional intelligence as well as business acumen.
Upon graduation with your Duke MBA, you will be a leader of consequence, able to deal simultaneously with complex matters and engage skillfully with colleagues, clients, and community. What impact do you hope to have as a leader of consequence?
My explanation is bit long, but try to help you understand the essay as much as I can.
The critical point of this essay to understand the meaning of "leader of consequence". Business schools tend to ask questions in a hard-to-understand way (at least for non-native English speakers). Below is an excerpt from webster dictionary:
A leader of consequence implies that what she says and does has meaning and significance and that others are willing to follow her.
But actually, I think all leaders are 'of consequence,' either for good or for ill.
I agree with the above answer. Below is a news article talking about Bush vs. Putin:
Bush: Putin leader of consequence, but to what end?
Thu Dec 20, 2007 1:48pm EST
By Tabassum Zakaria
WASHINGTON, Dec 20 (Reuters) - President George W. Bush on Thursday said Russian President Vladimir Putin was chosen "Person of the Year" by a U.S. magazine for being a leader of consequence, but only time would judge "to what end."
Bush joked that he and Putin now belonged to the same club after Time magazine named the Russian leader as the most newsworthy person of 2007 and wrote a cover story about him. Bush was selected by the magazine twice, in 2004 and 2000, the years he was elected president.
"You know, I'm looking forward to seeing him at the alumni meeting of the man of the year," Bush quipped at a news conference.
"I presume they put him on there because he was a consequential leader. And the fundamental question is: Consequential to what end? You know, what will the country look like 10 years from now?" Bush said.
U.S.-Russian relations have become strained, with Washington criticizing Moscow for backtracking on democratic reforms and Russia angry over U.S. intentions to build a missile defense system in Europe.
So, the above analysis should tell you what "Leader of consequence" means. Now, let me anatomize the essay question for you:
Today, companies must navigate through complex and interdependent issues. They must deal with health and security matters, environmental impact questions, and diversity and cultural concerns. Leaders need adaptability, imagination, and emotional intelligence as well as business acumen.
The above paragraph is actually saying that companies should also have social responsibilities, not only business goals. The keywords used in the paragraph "security matters, environmental impact questions, and diversity and cultural concerns" indicate that these social probblems are very important even for business leaders in today's "complex and interdependent" environment. Leaders need "adapatability" (flexibility), "imagination" (vision), and "emotional" (ethical) intelligence, in addition to the business acumen, to succeed.
Upon graduation with your Duke MBA, you will be a leader of consequence, able to deal simultaneously with complex matters and engage skillfully with colleagues, clients, and community. What impact do you hope to have as a leader of consequence?
This paragraph is asking you: After your Duke MBA, you are supposed to be an important leader,and should be able to simultaneously deal with the complex matters involving both business (colleagues, clients) and social (community) responsibilities. In this case, what will you do? The question can be rephrased in different ways: (1) How can you leave a meaningful and positive (instead of a negative) impact on society around you while you make your business a success? (2) How are you going to demonstrate your social responsibility through doing good business? (3) How are you going to behave in an ethical and constructive way to make this world a better and positive place? (4) How can you handle the complex and interdependent business and social issues at the same time and make a positive impact on the world?
Duke MBA starts to emphasize social responsibility in light of the ethics problems in business. Enron, Worldcom, Lehman, Fannie Mae and the recent financial crisis are all good brainstorm materials. Actually, the first pagraph of the essay question has listed some topics or areas that you can consider: "health and security matters, environmental impact questions, and diversity and cultural concerns". Don't forget to leverage your "adaptability, imagination, and emotional intelligence as well as business acumen".
Three short answer questions and one long essay question must be completed before submitting your application. Prepare your essays carefully. The Admissions Committee considers your responses to the following questions important in the selection process. Please respond fully and concisely using 1.5 line spacing.
For the short answer questions, please restrict your response to a single page each. For the long essay question, please restrict your response to two pages. Please avoid using a font size smaller than 10-point.
Candidates who applied to Fuqua between September 2007 and April 2008 are considered reapplicants. All reapplicants are required to complete the Reapplicant Essay in addition to the Applicant Essays.
All applicants have the opportunity to submit an optional essay to explain any extenuating circumstances of which the Admissions Committee should be aware.
Duke is very proud of its community: Team Fuqua Consequently, it carefully chooses team members. The questions below are an opportunity for you to introduce yourself as an individual, a member of your community or team, and as a professional and future leader. As the questions show, all facets are important to Fuqua.
Duke has shuffled the essay deck this year. It is asking for three short essays (as opposed to two last year) and one long essay (as opposed to two last year.) It is asking two new questions and has removed the element of choice that was part of last year's application.
Applicant Essays
Short Answer Essays - Answer all short answer essay questions.
1-What do you hope to gain from The Duke MBA? How does it fit into your short- and long- term goals? If you are interested in a joint degree or the Health Sector Management program, please address in this response.
Connect the dots between your past experiences your future goals and show how Duke's MBA program will bridge the gap between the two. (For different ideas on structuring goals essays, click on the link.)
I don't think I can overemphasize the importance of this essay in establishing your credibility as a serious candidate. I know I have harangued you regularly about the importance of goals in MBA admissions and I am doing it again. Just keep in mind that this essay will reveal whether you have done your homework -- personal introspection, career networking, and school research -- or not, as the case may be.
2-How will you contribute to the overall experience of your peers at The Duke MBA?
Very similar to last year's #2. What are you going to add to Team Fuqua? Is it an enthusiastic commitment to Habitat for Humanity, a local environmental cause, your church, or a hobby, sport, or art form? Is it an unusual personal background? Perhaps, overcoming distinctive challenges? And then how will this unique facet cause you to contribute at Duke? Will it lead to involvement in a specific club or Fuqua project? Interest in a particular program? Again show your knowledge of Fuqua as well as fit between you and the program.
3-Discuss a person, event or experience that has significantly shaped your life and explain why. Note: The goal of this essay is to get a sense of who you are, rather than what you have achieved professionally.
New question: What or who has had profound, lasting impact on you? Describe the person or event and its impact. Please don't limit your description of impact to the emotional or intellectual. How does it influence your behavior? This essay probably will reflect a non-professional facet of your life.
Long Essay - Answer the long essay question below.
1-Today, companies must navigate through complex and interdependent issues. They must deal with health and security matters, environmental impact questions, and diversity and cultural concerns. Leaders need adaptability, imagination, and emotional intelligence as well as business acumen.
Upon graduation, a Duke MBA will be a leader of consequence - able to deal simultaneously with complex matters and engage skillfully with colleagues, clients, and community. What impact do you hope to have as a leader of consequence?
New question. What role in the world would you like to assume? Where would you like to have impact? What cause is important to you? Where have you contributed in the past?This is more about vision, values, and life goals than strictly professional goals.
The best essays here will be connected to past involvement so that your goals for the future seem plausible no matter how grand.
Optional Essay (not required)
1-If you feel there are extenuating circumstances of which the admissions committee should be aware, please explain them here (e.g. unexplained gaps in work, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, significant weakness in your application).
Why isn't your current supervisor writing your rec? Why did your grades dip during the first semester of your senior year? Why is there a six-month gap on your resume? What are your responsibilities while working for a family business after having left a prestigious investment bank and why did you make the change? Answering any of those questions (but not all) could be the topic of your optional essay. And of course an infinite number of similar subjects could be worthwhile discussing in the optional essay.
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发表于 2008-9-26 12:18:00
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