Stanford GSB Interview: 3 Ways to Embody Leadership

Stanford Graduate School of Business

Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB), which ranks number one in P&Q’s “Top Business Schools” ranking, places a high value on leadership.

In the prestigious B-school’s interview process, admissions officers aim to find applicants who can demonstrate a strong sense of leadership in terms of impact, mindset, and personality. Stacy Blackman, founder of Stacy Blackman Consulting, recently gave insight into what applicants can expect for Stanford GSB’s interview process and how they can best prepare.

DEMONSTRATE YOUR IMPACT

Showing admissions officers how you’ve made an impact is key to success in your Stanford GSB interview.

“Sharing stories about your past leadership achievements will help your interviewer gauge your potential for realizing your future ambitions,” Blackman writes. “The scale of your achievement is less important than the fact that you have left indelible footprints in areas that matter to you.”

CONVEY YOUR VISION

All leaders have a vision. And when it comes to gaining admission into Stanford, conveying that vision is critical.

“You want to show that your reasons for applying to business school go beyond the goal of merely scaling the corporate ladder,” Blackman writes. “During your interview, demonstrate that you have a talent for seeing greater possibilities and a track record of rallying others to embrace that picture of the future and work together with you to realize it.”

SHOW SELF-AWARENESS

The best leaders are often those who can assess their past mistakes and learn to grow. Demonstrating a strong sense of self-awareness will be key to setting yourself apart from other applicants, Blackman says.

“The ability to explain why you value one accomplishment above others, what you learned from a setback, or the deeper meaning of your career goals is evidence of self-awareness,” Blackman writes. “The self-aware individual also knows their strengths and weaknesses. A quality that goes hand-in-hand with self-awareness is maturity. The fact that the admissions committee is seeking evidence of maturity suggests that you should be on the lookout for opportunities to share defining moments in your life during the interview.”

Sources: Stacy Blackman Consulting, P&Q, P&Q