University of Virginia Darden MBA Mock Interview
Practice 30 Darden MBA interview questions covering case method, leadership, and fit for the world's top case-based program.
Question 11 of 30
Describe a time when you led a group but were not explicitly assigned as the leader.
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Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
What You Should Say
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Karrie Day is a certified career coach and strategist with a passion for helping her clients define and reach their professional goals. She offers career advancement services such as brand development, resume writing and critiques, job search strategies,
"As a principal consultant, I am typically not the leader of the teams I work with. My role is to provide the guidance and expertise to establish the vision, and strategy for a large-scale series of projects. I often find myself serving as a bridge to connect opposing groups together and share ideas effectively.
I am currently working on a network security project for a large enterprise. Their engineering team is very talented, but there are some gaps in their knowledge. As a result, I was able to identify a substantial series of opportunities to fortify their network. I have worked hard to establish trust, and that can be difficult to do with a group that expects attacks and addresses them when they occur.
They now view me as a subject matter expert and we are working together to prioritize the available opportunities. I prefer to lean on data and experience to establish confidence, and then I lead by example."
Karrie Day is a certified career coach and strategist with a passion for helping her clients define and reach their professional goals. She offers career advancement services such as brand development, resume writing and critiques, job search strategies,
You are likely to be asked at least one leadership-focused question during your MBA interview at UVA Darden. It is likely that you will work in a variety of team settings at Darden and you will be expected to utilize leadership and facilitation skills without an explicit leadership designation. Your interviewer wants to know how you approach this type of scenario.
Karrie Day is a certified career coach and strategist with a passion for helping her clients define and reach their professional goals. She offers career advancement services such as brand development, resume writing and critiques, job search strategies,
Now is the time to show your interviewer how varied and seasoned your leadership skills are. Consider describing a time when you acted as a coach, mentor, cheerleader, or developed a strategic path forward. You can even describe a time when your commitment to excellence inspired your teammates to raise the bar. Whatever you decide, provide a brief background, explain the steps you took in a leadership capacity, and then discuss the effect your approach had on the team you worked with.
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