The Cox School of Business, Essay Example

The Cox School of Business seeks students who desire to become leaders with purpose – those who will positively influence the global business community, whether in a small way or on a large scale. What have you done thus far in your academic or professional career to make a difference?

A leader should encourage and inspire his followers to pursue their dreams. My job at Peak Incorporated provided me with numerous opportunities to enhance my leadership potential.

As an Account Executive, my responsibilities include face-to-face sales and marketing of services to new customers on behalf of our clients. It was also a management training program in which we learnt about leadership and management, public speaking, training, and coaching. While the work environment was fun and full of learning and growth opportunities, the fast-paced environment may lead to work-related stress.

Everyone would start at the entry level and only promoted to leadership positions once he has established a strong sales track record. When I reached the leader position, I guided entry level employees with their issues and problems. I reminded myself I also struggled in making sales in the beginning and how the failures would frustrate me, thus, I paid major attention to new hires to help them feel adjusted as soon as possible. I knew this would not only benefit new hires but also the company.

Coaching is one of the most valuable tools to teach. Our workplace environment was open and friendly and everyone supported each other. We often had 1-to-1 sessions on a daily basis which involved all of us sitting together and discussion our concerns and problems.

The first new hire I mentored was very hardworking and motivated but he struggled at the job in the early few weeks. This negatively affected his self-confidence and he started doubting himself. His personal problems also led to distraction and added to his work-related stress. But I was determined to help him succeed and would often sit down with him to discuss his problems and his goals so that we can develop strategies. I helped him develop achievable reasonable daily and weekly goals. I, especially, focused on breaking down major goals into individual tasks so that I could monitor his progress. I knew he embraced challenges so I kept finding new tasks for him.

Our hard work paid off and he was promoted to the next level. In helping him, I also learn a lot about leadership. I am grateful for these experiences I acquired at work because they will continue to benefit me for the rest of my life. At Cox School of Business, I am inspired to further polish my leadership skills so that I have a strong foundation for future career as a Cox graduate.