Hi Anonymous,
I will quote below a previous post I wrote on PEI at McKinsey:
Personal Impact is mainly based on persuading someone about doing/not doing something. Questions include:
- Tell me about a time when you persuaded your boss to go along with an idea you had.
- Tell me about a difficult situation where you had to rely on your communication skills.
Here you want to emphasize your influence on someone else, usually in disagreement with you.
To compare with the other usual topics in McKinsey interviews:
Entrepreneurial Drive is about implementing something overcoming major difficulties. Examples include:
- What was a situation where you set a major goal and been able to achieve it?
- What has been your major accomplishment so far?
Here you want to emphasize the achievement you reached and the process that led you there.
Leadership is about leading a whole team in challenging situation and team management skills. Questions include:
- Give me three examples of a time that you lead a group.
- What are some key lessons you have learned about motivating people?
Here you want to emphasize how you overcome a difficult situation leading a team (not necessarily as the official leader).
Hope this helps,
Francesco