Tell me about a time when you had to lead a team to complete a project under a tight deadline. How did you ensure everyone contributed and the goal was met?

Situation

In my final year, I was elected team lead for our business plan competition entry. Three weeks before the submission deadline, one member dropped out due to illness, and we lost his competitor-analysis section.

Task

I had to redistribute the work without burning out the remaining four members, ensure the analysis quality didn't slip, and submit the business plan on time.

Action

I immediately held a 10-minute huddle to check each member's current workload and morale. We collectively decided to trim the least critical part of the financials to free up time. I took over the competitor analysis myself since I had previous research notes. I set up a shared Google Sheet with clear daily targets for each person and a 9 PM nightly check-in via Messenger. To keep spirits up, I sent funny sticker messages when tasks were completed on time. When one teammate struggled with a market-sizing calculation, I did a 30-minute Zoom tutorial instead of letting her figure it out alone.

Result

We submitted 12 hours before the deadline. The judges ranked our competitor analysis as 'thorough and actionable,' and we advanced to the final round. Three teammates later told me the clear daily goals reduced their anxiety.