Leadership EO Example — 250-Word Statement
At EO assessors expect you to organise others, not just yourself. Show a time you planned or coordinated people's work, supported colleagues, and kept a team on track towards a goal. They want evidence of fairness, enthusiasm and follow-through, plus a result you can quantify, all told in first person singular.
Example statement
SI volunteered as marshal coordinator for a charity fun run with 400 runners taking part. On the morning of the event, two of my marshals had not arrived and heavy rain was forecast for around midday, right in the middle of the run.
TI was responsible for organising 12 volunteer marshals so the 5k route stayed safe, friendly and well signposted for every single runner.
AI gathered everyone for a ten-minute briefing and redrew the positions map to cover the two gaps, putting the least experienced volunteers in the spots closest to base. I paired each new volunteer with someone who had marshalled before, and I gave every pair a simple card showing their position, their radio channel and my phone number. I set up a check-in rhythm, calling each pair every 30 minutes, so small problems reached me early before they grew. When the rain started, I moved the water station under the leisure centre overhang and sent two volunteers to warn runners about a slippery corner. Throughout, I kept thanking people by name over the radio and passed on cheers from runners to keep spirits up. Afterwards I ran a 15-minute debrief, collected three practical suggestions, and passed them to the organisers along with my written thanks to the whole team.
RAll 400 runners finished safely with no reported incidents, and the event raised £3,200, about 20% over the fundraising target. Ten of the 12 volunteers signed up again to marshal at the following year's run.
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
- Coordinating 12 volunteers shows EO-level leadership: organising other people's work, planning for problems, and keeping a team focused on a shared goal.
- Decisions are clearly owned by the writer (redrawing positions, moving the water station), which is what separates EO from AO in assessors' eyes.
- The result combines safety, money and future commitment: 400 safe finishers, £3,200 raised, 20% over target, 10 of 12 volunteers returning.
What EO level requires
| Grade | What assessors expect |
|---|---|
| AO | 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 ← this page | 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
- Choosing an example where you only managed your own workload, which shows personal organisation rather than leadership of others.
- Describing what the group decided collectively, with no moment where you took ownership or made a call.
- Leaving out how you supported individuals, so the example reads as cold task management.
Frequently asked questions
At EO, leadership means organising others towards a shared goal: coordinating a small team's work, supporting colleagues, solving day-to-day problems and setting a fair example. You might rebuild a rota, run a project or coordinate volunteers. Assessors want personal ownership, clear direction for others, and a result you can put a number on.
Yes, and at EO that is very common. Coordinating volunteers, organising a project team of peers, or taking charge of an event all count. What matters is that people followed your direction because you gave them a clear plan and support, not because of your job title. Say explicitly how you brought people with you.
At AO, leadership is enthusiasm and support within your immediate work: helping colleagues and stepping up in the moment. At EO, assessors expect you to organise other people's work deliberately: planning, allocating tasks, checking progress and fixing problems. Choose an example where you set the direction for others rather than simply joining in.
Next step
Get the free EO statement template pack — the same STAR structure used in this example.
Download the template pack