Demonstrated Leadership Potential – Stanford GSB

As per Stanford GSB’s evaluation criteria, the school seeks demonstrated leadership potential. But, isn’t that all B-schools look for leadership potential? The answer is “yes and no” – quite an ambiguous phrase, isn’t it? There are some unique nuances to Stanford’s concept of leadership that you should know about in order to showcase leadership effectively in your application. Let’s try to decipher what Stanford means by “demonstrated leadership potential”. Lets take word by word for our analysis.

First, Demonstrated:-

You must showcase what impact(s) you have made till date to your organization(s). Actions speak louder than words. Provide concrete evidence to convince the admissions committee that you have left an indelible mark in your organizations. Describe what you accomplished, how you challenged the status quo and what changes you have implemented. Stanford GSB admissions officers should be able to visualize you in action while reading the applications essays.

Second, Leadership:-

Leadership is an umbrella word. There are numerous aspects of leadership such as communication, coordination, collaboration, managing scope/schedule/cost/priorities of a project, controlling quality, handling personality conflicts, mentoring, networking and so on.

But how does Stanford defines leadership? As per GSB, leadership must be guided by ideal, even in difficult circumstances. That is what they call “directed idealism.” To provide meaningful leadership, you must have a core set of values that must guide you, just as the North Star used to guide sailors in old days. However challenging any project might be or whatever ethical dilemma you might have faced, Stanford expects that you showcase consistent actions that are driven by values.

Business leaders, especially the ones who are in top positions in global corporations and renowned non-profits, amass immense power. Common people generally view them as role models. Our society, in general, places huge responsibilities on the shoulders of such leaders. Corporate scandals, misuse of office or lapse in moral and ethical dimensions by corporate bosses send a wrong signal to the society at large. Hence, Stanford aspires to create a crop of leaders who will understand their tremendous responsibilities and act accordingly.

As an applicant to Stanford GSB, keep these points in mind while selecting your leadership stories.

Third, Potential:-

Stanford wish to see that you always walk the extra mile to accomplish your goals. You have the “fire in the belly” to become one of the top leaders in the industry. You are in constant look out to broaden your leadership horizon and grow as a leader. Hence, you network with senior leaders, read books of management gurus, and brainstorm with your peers to understand various issues of management.

Moreover, you are open to critique. You gracefully accept feedback and realize that constructive criticism is one of the best ways to know how others’ perceive you.

As you can see, the definition of “Demonstrated Leadership Potential” of Stanford is little different from those of other B-schools. Integrate these points into your entire application in order to differentiate from hundreds’ of other application.