Leadership examples PEI question MCK

A few options:

• Different type of roles/functions (e.g. operations, purchasing, marketing, finance, ....)
• Different personality styles (introvert vs. extrovert is the most obvious, but consider the other MBTI types, e.g. judging vs. perceiving)
• Hierarchical levels (directors/managers vs. base level workers)
• Culture: these are largely related to nationalities, and how acceptable / normal behaviors vary in each culture (the issue with nationalities is that it is too easy to resort to stereotypes... you should be instead pointing out to how people had different communication styles - direct vs. indirect; time management styles; how they would participate in meetings; how they would perceive and respect hierarchies or show distance to power).
• Academic backgrounds (engineers vs business vs arts vs. etc.)

But you may also include other things that make a team diverse (these shouldn't be the main part of your answer, but can add to the whole diversity theme):

• Personal Backgrounds
• Priorities / different objectives
• Personal limitations

Hi! 

Here’s the real issue: McKinsey is not impressed by “I worked with a German, a Portuguese, and a Korean.” That’s cosmetic diversity.

What they want is something like:
“I led a team with very different working styles, skills, incentives, or attitudes - and helped them overcome a real dysfunction to succeed.”

So instead of thinking in terms of nationalities, think in terms of these high-leverage backgrounds that create real leadership challenges:

1. Functional background

• Engineer vs. designer
• Quantitative analyst vs. human-centered UX researcher
• Salesperson vs. compliance lead
  → The tension: Different mental models and priorities.

2. Professional seniority

• You’re a student or junior analyst, but your teammates are 10 years older
• Or: you’re leading peers who see you as “too young” or “not credible”
  → The tension: Authority, trust, influence without power.

3. Motivational background (Will gap)

• Some members don’t care about the project - it’s “just a checkbox”
• Others are ambitious, but misaligned with the team's goal
  → The tension: You need to elevate others by connecting the dots between the mission and their personal motivation.

4. Skill background (Ability gap)

• One person is clearly underperforming - but they’re not lazy, just under-skilled
• Others are highly skilled but unaware of how to support them without taking over
  → The tension: You need to upskill someone without humiliating them or creating resentment.

5. Workstyle background

• One person is super-structured, another chaotic but creative
• One insists on consensus, another pushes forward unilaterally
  → The tension: You need to align on process and deliverables fast.

Final Thought:

The best Inclusive Leadership stories don’t just check the “diversity” box.
They show that you:

• Diagnosed the real reason the team was struggling (skill? will? misalignment?)
• Took action through others, not by doing the work for them
• Transformed performance under pressure

That’s what McKinsey means by “leading a diverse team.” Not passports. Skills, Perspectives and Incentives.

Hope this helps!
Sidi

___________________

Dr. Sidi S. Koné

Former Senior Engagement Manager & Interviewer at McKinsey | Former Senior Consultant at BCG | Co-Founder of The MBB Offer Machine™ (500+ mentees now consultants at McKinsey, BCG, and Bain)

Hi, backgrounds can refer to cultures, functional expertiese (IT vs. sales vs. customer service), age groups (gen z vs. baby boomers), etc. For the PEI, make sure you can offer deep insights into the examples that you select as the interviewer might want a tangible feel for what you say. Have your example be impactful, high-stakes (from a personal or professional standpoint), and detailed. Good luck! 

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the invitation from McKinsey!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• First of all, contrary to what other coaches have said, it sounds like you should focus on actual leadership skills as opposed to merely being able to deal with people from different nationalities.
• Moreover, please keep in mind that talking about working with people from other nationalities may also portray you as someone who is either not used to or - even worse - not comfortable with working with people from different nationalities.
• Lastly, you should instead focus your PEI leadership situations on actual leadership - for example, when you helped someone in need or led a team through a difficult situation. Most other examples will not fit the McKinsey-specific understanding of the leadership dimension.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming McKinsey interviews, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Haha, right, I see. 

Well, it sounds like their nudge is to think of 'diversity' and 'inclusivity' in a broader sense. 

It can be language, culture or gender related. 

But it can also have to do with experience levels (expert vs new joiner), commitment levels (somebody who really cares about a project vs somebody who doesn't), time availability (full time vs part time), etc.

And then you should explain how these sources of diversity were creating challenges that you then turned into assets after working with the team. 

If you want to make your PEI stories distinctive, you might want to check out this guide:

• Video Course: Master the McKinsey PEI

Best,
Cristian

Hi there,

They're looking for examples that feel more specific and personal beyond diversity. You can focus on other dimensions of background or context, like:

• Functional/disciplinary differences (e.g., working with engineers vs. marketers vs. designers)
• Seniority or experience levels (junior team vs. senior stakeholders)
• Cultural differences beyond nationality (e.g., different office locations, organizational cultures, or ways of working)
• Personal challenges or perspectives (e.g., collaborating with someone with a very different approach, mindset, or learning style)

The key is to highlight how you adapted and led effectively, rather than the labels themselves.

Hey there :)

Exactly, try to move beyond nationality. You can highlight differences in study or professional background, gender, seniority, work style, or even just differing ideas and approaches. For example, a team where someone was more analytical, another more creative, or where opinions strongly differed and you had to align everyone. That makes your leadership story more concrete and avoids clichés.

best,
Alessa :)