Leadership AO Example — 250-Word Statement
At AO you are not expected to manage anyone. Assessors want to see you take initiative within your own team: helping colleagues, sharing what you know, setting a positive tone, and organising people informally when something needs doing. Pick an example where you made your immediate team's day better or easier.
Example statement
SI worked as a sales assistant in a busy high-street shop. During our biggest product launch of the year, the shift leader called in sick on the Saturday morning, and footfall was expected to double across the whole weekend.
TAs the most experienced assistant on that shift, I took responsibility for coordinating six colleagues through the whole launch weekend.
AI called a five-minute huddle before we opened and split the shop into zones, giving each person a clear area and one priority. I paired our newest colleague with an experienced one so nobody felt on their own. I set simple hourly targets for queue times and tidying, and wrote them on the staffroom whiteboard so everyone could see how we were doing. During the busiest spells I worked the tills myself and redirected colleagues to wherever queues were building. I checked in with each person through the day, rotated breaks fairly even though it was hectic, and phoned the store manager at midday to agree a small change to our delivery slot so stock reached the floor faster. On Saturday evening I ran a short debrief, thanked everyone by name for something specific they had done, and adjusted the staffing plan for Sunday based on what we had learned together.
RQueues stayed under five minutes all weekend. Launch sales finished 18% above target with zero complaints, and the manager asked me to write the plan into the shift guide now used by the 30 weekend staff.
Use this as a model, not a script. This is an original example written for this site. Adapt the structure to your own experience — copying it word for word risks plagiarism and will not reflect your evidence.
Why this scores well
- Shows leadership without authority: at AO assessors want enthusiasm and direction within your immediate team, and stepping up when the shift leader was absent demonstrates exactly that.
- Gives others clear direction (zones, targets, pairings) and supports a new colleague, matching the AO expectation of helping others do their jobs well.
- The result is specific and owned by the writer: sales 18% above target, zero complaints, and a plan adopted for 30 weekend staff.
What AO level requires
| Grade | What assessors expect |
|---|---|
| AO ← this page | At AO, leadership means showing enthusiasm and direction in your immediate work: supporting colleagues, acting fairly and inclusively, and stepping up when your team needs you, even without any management authority. |
| EO | At EO, leadership means taking ownership of small pieces of team coordination: organising other people's work, keeping the team focused on shared goals, and setting a positive, fair example. |
| HEO | At HEO, leadership means leading a small team or project day to day: giving clear direction, supporting individuals' wellbeing and development, and keeping people performing through pressure. |
Common mistakes at this level
- Writing about the team's achievement without saying what you personally did, so the assessor cannot see your individual contribution.
- Choosing an example where you held a manager title and relying on the title instead of your actions.
- Describing helping one colleague but never showing any direction, enthusiasm or organisation of others.
Frequently asked questions
No. At AO the behaviour is about enthusiasm, direction and supporting others in your immediate team. Helping a new starter settle in, organising colleagues during a busy shift, or suggesting a better way to share tasks all count. Assessors know AO roles rarely manage people, so informal, everyday examples score well when told specifically.
Good AO examples come from ordinary moments: buddying a nervous new colleague, coordinating a shop floor during a launch, or reorganising a rota that was not working. Choose something where you can say exactly what you did, why you did it, and what changed as a result. A small story told well beats a grand one told vaguely.
Yes. Volunteering, community groups, sports teams, caring responsibilities and education all count as evidence. Assessors score the behaviour, not the setting. A volunteer who organised marshals at a fun run or rebuilt a charity shop rota can show the same enthusiasm and direction as someone in a paid role.
Next step
Get the free AO statement template pack — the same STAR structure used in this example.
Download the template pack