Demonstrating Leadership in an Interview
When looking for any management or leadership position, you should prepare to speak about leadership and your specific qualities. Some examples to highlight include active listening, team focus, reliability, empathy, and patience. It helps if you have a story from your past work that demonstrates how you embody these words.
Example answer: "My idea of good leadership is empathy, listening, and team focus. At my last job, we started doing mobile orders, and I was asked to lead the changes as a manager. Several members of the team were new to organizing mobile orders and nervous, so I listened to everyone's concerns and provided advice suited to them."
How do you give feedback to others?
A good leader can get results out of a group and keep morale high. If you get asked about giving feedback to others, explain how you give constructive, actionable guidance. Real examples from your last job are ideal.
Example answer: "I find it helps to guide the person into discovering what went wrong instead of opening a conversation with it. I start by asking how the coworker felt about the task and if any parts were difficult. When they admit trouble in the same area where they need feedback, they're relieved to hear my suggestions."
Who is your favorite leader and why?
This is a chance to express what you consider leadership qualities with a real-life example. How you answer this kind of question is important because the interviewer can hold you to your own hero's standards. The person you name will have some influence on how well the question goes over. You could make it a historical figure, a family member, or whoever you want, but the "why" is the key.
Example answer: "My favorite leader is Muhammad Ali. Many people remember him for boxing, but he was also a religious freedom and civil rights activist who preached strongly about what he believed, all while battling the effects of Parkinson's disease. Ali is my first example of how being yourself and leading with personality can help grow a following."
What do you do to finish your work on time?
One of the most valuable leadership skills in any workplace is being able to schedule work for the short and long term. Actionable things that go beyond one-word concepts like timeliness include:
Discussing objectives and purpose with the team
Assigning individual tasks early according to team-member skill sets
Checking on team members occasionally
Celebrating successes and hard work
Making team members feel comfortable sharing their concerns
Example answer: "I have an online scheduling program that gives me live data about the status of my work. I'm able to see what percentage is finished and get reminders if I need to contact a coworker."
When put in charge of others, what is your primary goal?
This question is tricky because you're being asked to identify one objective. If you say something like "getting the job done," you might come across as too cold. It's better to establish a big-picture attitude and concrete actions you take to complete your goal.
Example answer: "My primary goal when managing others is communication. When I'm in charge, it's up to me to deliver the instructions that each team member needs. I ask each person for the best method to contact them before the project starts. This way, the team moves faster and there's less time spent waiting to hear back from someone."
How do you measure your performance at work?
Sometimes an interview question about how you treat yourself is really a test of your leadership potential. If you get asked a question like this, the main goal is to show that you pull your own weight. In your answer, show that you lead yourself effectively, and explain how you can use those skills to help others on a team.
Example answer: "I measure my performance based on the value of new customers I get versus time spent doing customer service. The higher the ratio of one to the other, the bigger an impact I'm making. It's important that I only bring in new customers with lightweight or no customer service inquiries."
Can you describe a leadership challenge at work and how you overcame it?
If you're applying for a job with some authority, this question is likely to come up. The STAR method is a great way to tell a specific story that answers these types of questions. You simply explain the:
Situation: Was there a leadership vacuum during a time of crisis?
Task: What literal role did you take on, or what was supposed to get done?
Actions: What did you do differently to ensure the task was done?
Result: How did your actions resolve the leadership challenge?
Example answer: "There was once a problem that led to one of my managers not being able to oversee an important meeting with a client. Instead of canceling, I called and requested to lead the meeting. This normally wouldn't work, but I explained clearly how deep my role was in coming up with the meeting agenda. As a result, the meeting still happened, and we ended up getting the deal."
EXAMPLES OF LEADERSHIP SKILLS
There are many elements to leading, like delegating work, listening to others, and remaining accountable. Other leadership skills that may apply to you include:
Creativity
Negotiation
Flexibility
Passion
Teaching
Conflict resolution
One of the most important aspects of a leader is dependability. To be a true leader, people in your workplace need to look to you when they aren't certain about what to do. What makes you a dependable employee, and how can it benefit your new potential employer?
When you get a job interview, you're probably ready for a lot of specific questions about the position you'll be filling. However, you might also be asked about leadership. With a little preparation, you'll be able to show off your leadership skills during an interview. The skill that gets you hired might be an eye for analytics or encouraging positive morale. Whatever it may be, you have leader-like traits, so why not show them off?
