McKinsey Preview Weekend

I was recently directed to a potential opportunity this summer with mega-consulting firm, McKinsey & Company. They are running this Mckinsey Preview Weekend in Washington, DC from July 25th to the 27th. According to the web page:

McKinsey Preview Weekend (MPW) is designed to provide rising juniors and seniors with an early introduction to management consulting in general, and McKinsey & Company in particular.

This participatory weekend workshop will include:

• Group discussions led by current consultants to help you explore the consulting industry
• Team activities designed to help you experience first hand the type of work we do at McKinsey
• Opportunities to connect with McKinsey consultants and fellow student participants

Preview Weekend is open to rising college juniors and seniors.

candidate criteria for MPW

• Rising juniors and seniors, from all majors, who are beginning to explore their career options
• A demonstrated ability to successfully balance academics with other responsibilities, including leadership roles and work experience
• Enjoy working on teams and solving problems

Application Details

The on-line application will take 10-15 minutes to complete. To apply, you will need the following:

• Resume
• Transcript (unofficial is acceptable)
• Essay (see topic below)

I figured that there would be no harm in at least applying to it. I must admit though, even though I am a fine student, McKinsey truly only admits the best into their company, and I feel like my chances of getting this are slim. But, if you don't ask, you don't get. So, I figure the worst thing that could happen is I don't get it, and then, I'm no worse off than I ever was.

Another reason I really wanted to apply for this, aside from the fact that it would be an amazing learning experience and awesome way to get to know new people and the company itself, was I really liked the essay question that they wanted the applicants to answer. Here is the essay question along with my answer.

• It has been said that one quality leaders possess is vision. In your opinion, what are other qualities that great leaders possess? (500 words or less)

In the film, Any Given Sunday, Al Pacino plays Tony D’Amato, the leader and coach of modern day gladiators who battle in their own Colosseum, the football arena. Prior to a pivotal game, Al Pacino stands before his warriors and proclaims, “life is just a game of inches/the margin for error is so small/ One half second too slow or too fast and you don't quite catch it.” These fateful words point to one of the most essential qualities that great leaders must possess and that is the ability to execute.

Whether you’re the leader of a school group project or a Fortune 500 company, an effective leader must have the ability to demand and produce results. People can sit around and talk all day, but if nothing is ever accomplished, then all is lost.

The ability to execute is a quality directly tied to a leader's effectiveness. It is critical to have an unbelievably strong sense of self if you are planning on leading others to success. If you don’t have a clear understanding of yourself, then how can you expect others to understand who you are? Self-awareness is a state of being that leaders should want and work to master.

Leaders must also craft a culture of execution. Those visions and goals that leaders inherently possess should be translated into tangible deliverables and actions to streamline and guide the team to achieve. Every action should have a purpose. Every team member should wake up motivated to accomplish the same ends as his counterparts.

Being able to effectively execute also means having the capacity to place the right people in the right places. Having a thorough understanding of how to delegate tasks can make or break any undertaking. A team is only as strong as its weakest link, and leaders should have the foresight to provide coaching or training if necessary.

If a leader has any hope of producing results, he or she must also have an unwavering commitment to assessing reality. Leaders cannot be thrown or distracted by smoke and mirrors. Leaders must be able to dig through a swarm of absurdity, maintain poise, and remain firmly on track to realizing the goal. Superb leaders do not have time to get lost with the rest of the crowd.

Without doubt, the art of execution separates the few from the many. Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer, also thinks that execution is an essential part of leadership. According to Ballmer, “I like to tell people that all of our products and business will go through three phases. There's vision, patience, and execution.”