Actual question from Tuck MBA Essay Question modified for brevity
Describe a time when you exercised turnaround leadership. Discuss the challenges faced and results achieved. What areas do you seek to develop further?
The above topic brings to memory my employment with ABC as a team leader (Aug. 2005 – Nov. 2006). I had been entrusted with the responsibility of leading a 15-member team with the Global Recovery group at ABC (Collections Division). I had been into collections services for less than 3 months and the fact that all other members in the team had an average tenure less than mine did not help. Also, there had been frequent changes in the team’s composition due to very high attrition levels. A “Team coach” (product/process specialist) had also not been assigned, which wasn’t been the case for other teams. There were obvious gaps in knowledge and skill levels of members, low morale and also an absence of cohesiveness in the newly formed group. The team’s performance measured on measured parameters had been abysmally low to the point that it’s “existence was questionable”. The challenge was thus to achieve a breakthrough with a range of limitations.
I committed myself to the task and aimed towards achieving a turnaround of #1 team ranking in less than 6 months. After my initial interactions with team members, I realized that my team did have an inherent desire to excel – it was the firm belief in the possibility that was amiss. The team had a mental block which had been fortified by frequent changes in leadership. I took significant efforts to bring in “a doable dream!” – A vision for us all with a clear, understandable structure to definitely make it happen. Besides the fact that what was in it for us to lose?