ISB Essays, Analysis, Tips & Strategy

Career Simplified
Jun 29
3 min read

A) What unique experiences have shaped who you are? What have these experiences taught you about leadership and the kind of leader you aspire to be? -400 words

B) What intellectual experiences have influenced your approach to learning and have led you to pursue an MBA? Please describe using anecdotes from your own experiences.

C) Share with us any intellectual pursuits, unique perspectives, or experiences that you pursued that have shaped your worldview, your growth through these pursuits, and how they could potentially contribute to our learning community.(Optional)

With only 400 words, one has to be ruthless and compact in delivering your narrative. you can approach several frameworks to answer these questions. you need to know that there are no right or wrong answers but what matters is you give your best self and present a strong case.

Here are some frameworks to approach these questions:

1. The "Before/After" Transformation Arc

Hook: Start mid-action in a defining moment
"The angry crowd of farmers surrounded our site office, bamboo sticks pounding the gate as monsoon rain soaked my reports."
The Catalyst: Describe the experience (1 para)
The Struggle: Your initial failed approach (1 para)
Breakthrough: How you adapted + leadership lesson (1-2 paras)
The Leader You Became: Specific traits developed
Aspiration: "Now I aim to lead by [philosophy], like when I [future application]"

2. The 3-Pillar Leadership Framework

(Clear & analytical)

Intro: "Three experiences forged my leadership: X, Y, Z"
Pillar 1: Experience (e.g., rescuing a failing project)
- Lesson: Decisiveness in ambiguity
Pillar 2: Experience (e.g., mentoring juniors)
- Lesson: Psychological safety
Pillar 3: Experience (e.g., cross-cultural team conflict)
- Lesson: Inclusive communication
Synthesis: "Together, these shape my leadership style: [Style Name] – defined by [traits]"

3. The Contrast Structure

(Highlights growth)

Old Belief	Experience	New Leadership Principle
"Authority = Control"	Leading volunteers during COVID relief	Empowerment > Hierarchy
"Speed = Efficiency"	Manufacturing line shutdown	Psychological Safety Unlocks Innovation
"Data Drives All"	Tribal community negotiation	Cultural Intelligence > Spreadsheets
End with: "Today, I lead through [philosophy], not despite these experiences but because of them."

4. The "Single Story" Deep Dive

(For one powerful experience)

Vivid Opening: Sensory details of the crisis
Stakes: What you stood to lose
Turning Point: The leadership choice you made
Lesson Extraction: 2-3 leadership principles tested
Present Application: How you use this daily
Future Vision: "At [MBA Program], I'll expand this by..."

Example: Refugee camp project → taught crisis empathy → now applied in corporate DEI initiatives.

5. The Leadership Manifesto

(Bold & philosophical)

"I believe leadership is not about being followed, but about making followers into leaders. This conviction was forged in three fires:"

Fire 1: Failure story (what you lost)
Fire 2: Adversity story (what you endured)
Fire 3: Success story (what you built)

"My manifesto: [3 bullet principles]. At [School], I'll test these against..."

6. The "Lens" Approach

(Unique perspective hook)

Open: "Through my lens as a [unique identity] – a female engineer in oil rigs/a startup founder in a tier-3 city – I've seen leadership as..."
Experience 1: How your background shaped the challenge
Experience 2: How it shaped the solution
Revelation: "This taught me that great leadership isn't universal – it's context-aware. I now aspire to lead by..."

7. The Legacy Structure

(Forward-focused)

Begin at the End: "The legacy I want? Teams that say, 'She made us see our own strength.' This purpose emerged from:"
Experience 1: Where you saw bad leadership damage
Experience 2: Where you modeled better
Experience 3: Where you consciously reversed a pattern
Aspiration: "At [School], I'll refine this legacy through..."