Questions About Leadership For Interview

Question 2 What Characterize A Good Leader From Your Point Of View

To the abilities that characterize a good leader definitely belong:

• Ability to inspire the others and motivate them to achieve their full potential in work.
• Capacity to develop strengths of other people, and help them to improve on their weaknesses.
• Ability to unite people and build and lead a team that follows a mutual goal.
• A natural sense for seeing the broad picture, and thinking a few steps ahead.
• .

Actually there are many theories about leadership, and you can address this question from various angles.

For example, you can say that great leaders attract people, believe in them, and connect with them .

Another alternative is to focus on achieving goals, saying that great leaders are characterized primarily by their ability to set the right goals for the company, and to achieve these goals later on.

What Were Your Responsibilities In Your Last Position

In my last position, I took on the role of the team leader on a large departmental project that spanned most of the year. As team leader, I was responsible not only for meeting my own deadlines, but for monitoring the others on the team, ensuring they had the resources they needed to complete their tasks, and keeping everyone motivated. I learned a lot about effective leadership strategies that I can easily translate to this company and position.

How Do You Set Goals

Great leaders understand the importance of goal setting. This leadership interview question gauges whether you can set effective goals for yourself and your team. Consider citing your goal-setting process such as the SMART format to help you set specific, achievable, measurable, relevant and time-bound goals.

Example: I use the SMART structure when setting my goals. In my current role, I take time to think about the goals I want to achieve and whether they’re achievable. Once I set the goals, I strategize on how to realize them and which measures and deadlines to put in place to meet them. I then delegate tasks to team members according to their individual strengths. I use a visual progress tracker for measuring our short- and long-term progress.

Related: Leadership Goals

Recommended Reading: How To Prepare For A Customer Service Interview

How Do You Determine If A Project Is At Risk

Heres a sample answer: I clearly communicate project expectations and deadlines to my team members at the outset. This reduces chances of failure. Throughout the project, I keep a tab on key performance indicators to find out if work is on schedule, within budget and up to required standards. Thus, I can anticipate and identify problems before they can cause significant damage.

What Do Interviewers Mean By Leadership

Questions regarding leadership are one of the most common types of behavioral questions. Leadership qualities are so valuable to employers that some will even base their entire interview process on them.

Great leaders do more than tell others what to do. They bring value by creating a supportive and collaborative environment. A great leader recognizes and nurtures the skills of those around them. They promote productivity and boost morale.

When interviewers ask about leadership, they are looking for specific qualities, including:

• Organization and decision-making skills Leaders can manage people and projects productively, and contribute to the companys commercial goals.

• Persuasiveness and negotiation Leaders can drive action and implement change.

• Ability to innovate Leaders come up with new ideas.

• Self-confidence Leaders arent afraid to take responsibility.

• Self-awareness Leaders are confident in their abilities but also recognize their limits. Good leaders delegate and trust the professional advice of their co-workers.

• Ability to motivate and inspire Leaders maximize their employees potential. They praise exceptional efforts and lead by example through hard work and dedication.

• Conflict resolution Leaders support their co-workers through difficult situations and find solutions to interpersonal problems.

You May Like: How To Crack Business Analyst Interview

Additional Resources For Your Interview Preparation

Leadership is a broad topic, and you will find a lot of good literature, courses, and seminars that will help you to become a better leader . Everything is just a question of knowledge, and practice.

To help you to continue your preparation for a leadership role interview , we put together a list of internal and external resources.

We hope it will help you to understand your level of leadership, to improve on it, and to get a job you want to have. See the resources below:

How Do You Get Others To Accept Your Ideas

Heres a sample answer: I try to explain about the benefits of the idea and how to use it. I stay open to discussions and other thoughts and can even tweak my ideas in a way that we can all agree. When you gain acceptance from others, you are much more successful in accomplishing the goals than when you make it compulsory to follow an idea.

Recommended Reading: How To Perform In Interview

How Do You Measure Success

We all have different ways of measuring success. However, the threshold is heightened for leaders.

Tip #1: Have a higher way of measuring success now that you are a leader.

Tip #2: It should be a reasonable standard of measurement

Sample Answer

I set goals at the beginning of every project. These range from personal to team goals. I only consider myself successful after achieving both the individual and team goals. I believe that I am entirely successful if my team also succeeds. These two are therefore inseparable.

Question : What Will Be The Most Popular Product In This Business In Five Years Time

Leaders should be able to plan one step ahead, and to see two, or even three steps ahead. In order to come up with the right strategical plan, in order to stay in front of the pack, you should have some vision of the future.

Right answer to this question depends on the position you try to get, on the particular field you want to work in. Luckily for you, we live in an era of information. A good research will help you to understand the trends in the industry. You will see who leads the market today, and you can think who will lead it in five years time.

Show the interviewers that you care, that you did your homework, that you are interested in their filed of business. The predictions you make in an interview do not necessarily have to come truethey wont come true most of the time. But it is important to show them that you care, and that you have some opinion about the future

Special Tip: You can also download a simple one-page long list of 10 common leadership interview questions, in a .PDF, and practice your interview answers anytime later:

You May Like: What Questions To Ask In An Interview For Administrative Assistant

What Do You Need To Improve

Employers love to hire someone who is talented and confident in their skills, but there are also times where you should be humble in an interview.

When they ask this question, or what are your weaknesses? its a chance to show them that youre not cocky and that you are always working to improve.

Pick something that will improve your skills as a leader, but not something thats so essential to the job that youll scare them away from hiring you.

For example, you wouldnt want to say, Well, Im not great at communicating with my team. So thats something I need to improve.

This would be a huge red flag, because communicating with your team members is such a vital part of the job that you probably couldnt succeed as a manager or supervisor without this ability.

How Would You Describe Your Leadership Style

Example answer:

I would describe my leadership style as proactive. I like to be involved in all aspects of the team, and I am always looking for ways to improve the teams performance. I believe that leaders should be able to make quick decisions when necessary, and they should also have a clear vision for the future. I am also a big believer in communication, and I make sure that everyone is aware of the plans and procedures.

Recommended Reading: How To Prepare For An Interview With Google

What Do You Consider Your Most Significant Leadership Achievement

The interviewer wants to know how you measure success.

Tip #1: Your achievement should involve other employees.

Tip #2: You can mention the steps that you used to achieve your goals.

Sample Answer

During my former role, I completely changed the office operation from independent working to team working. We even scraped the layout and adopted an open design to enhance easy consultation among workers. The results were overwhelming.

Tell Me About A Time You Led A Team To Success

Situation:

One of the responsibilities of my previous role was to collate sales data.

Task:

At the end of the last financial year, I noticed that sales for a product were falling.

Action:

I took the lead by calling a team meeting to address the issue. I suggested we create a package of deals to offer customers bulk quantities of the product for discounted prices. I scheduled weekly check-ins with my co-workers to assess sales and hear any concerns.

Result:

Our customers were very receptive. By the new years second quarter, not only had sales recovered, but profits for that product had risen by 15%. Our team was rewarded for boosting our sales numbers, which made us eager to improve further.

Why this answer is good: the candidate demonstrated leadership qualities by recognizing an issue, taking the initiative to solve it, and supporting and encouraging their co-workers to succeed.

Recommended Reading: How To Prepare For Cyber Security Interview

Why Ask Candidates Leadership Interview Questions

When youre hiring for a senior level position , look for soft skills in candidates that may reflect their leadership styles. These can include:

• Motivation: How they use feedback and acknowledgment to inspire productivity
• Delegation: How they identify employees strengths and weaknesses to assign duties
• Communication: How they encourage team members to express concerns and ideas
• Integrity: How they handle confidential information, manage work relationships and follow company policies to set a good example for their team

Good leaders add value to the company by fostering a collaborative environment and welcoming new ideas. Leadership interview questions help recruiters get greater insight into a candidates way of working. Use job-related examples to understand how candidates:

• manage a team to achieve goals
• motivate their subordinates/co-workers
• approach challenges and conflicts in a team
• reach decisions

These interview questions can also reveal the leadership potential of candidates, even if theyre interviewing for entry-level roles. Employees with leadership skills and experience tend to show commitment to their job and overcome obstacles in a timely manner.

These sample leadership interview questions will help you identify if your candidates have what it takes to be a good leader.

What Is The Best Way Of Setting An Example As A Leader

One of your roles as a leader is inspiring the other team members. You should therefore strive to set a good example.

Tip #1: Talk about a way that has always been successful.

Tip #2: You can mention a way that helped you become a good example.

Sample Answer

The best way of becoming an excellent example to team members as a leader is by performing ones best in everything and living up to promises. Also, one should set similar expectations for both him/ herself and the group in question.

You May Like: How To Calm Nerves Before Interview

How Can A Team Leader Fail

A team leader can fail if they cannot get their team on board to accomplish the goals of the organization. External factors like lack of resources, time constraints – though in the leaders control – can also contribute to their failure. You can mention how you faced a setback while dealing with a difficult challenge and how you analyzed and learned from the failure.

Answers To Leadership Questions In An Interview

When answering leadership interview questions, it is important to be concise and articulate yourself well. You should also be prepared to provide specific examples from your past experiences.

Here are some tips for answering questions:

• Be sure to highlight your experience in leading a team and motivating others towards common goals.
• Discuss the key skills that you feel are essential for leaders, such as delegation, organization, and communication.
• Provide examples of difficult decisions that you have had to make in the past, and how you went about it. Also include the outcomes of these decisions.
• Talk about a time when you were under pressure and how you managed to handle it effectively.
• Explain your experience in making decisions that are in the best interests of an organization. Give an example of one such decision.
• End with a strong statement about why you would be excellent for the leadership position and what makes you stand out from the other candidates.

You May Like: How To Interview A Person

How To Pass A Leadership Interview5 Great Tips For Success

In this section of the webpage, Richard McMunn will give you five important tips to help you prepare for your leadership interview. The tips that follow are suitable for both experienced and inexperienced leaders. If you have a leadership, manager, supervisor, or team leader job interview coming up soon for any organization, read and absorb the tips that follow because they will make a big difference to your performance on the day.

LEADERSHIP INTERVIEW TIP #1

The aim of a leadership interview is to assess your potential to be a great leader. Therefore, you will have to answer hypothetical interview questions that analyze what you would do in certain situations. Think carefully about how you would deal with underperformance in a team, how you would delegate tasks, and give constructive feedback as a leader for their company.

LEADERSHIP INTERVIEW TIP #2

One of the most common leadership interview questions is, what is your style of leadership? There are essentially seven leadership styles as follows:

• Autocratic.
• Affiliative.
• Laissez-faire.

Before your interview, consider which three leadership styles are most applicable to you, and explain the type of situation you would use each one in.

LEADERSHIP INTERVIEW TIP #3

LEADERSHIP INTERVIEW TIP #4

Whats the difference between leadership and management? This question comes up often during leadership skills interviews! A simple way to differentiate between leadership and management is as follows:

LEADERSHIP INTERVIEW TIP #5

Tell Me About A Time You Implemented Change

Good leaders are innovative and forward-thinking. If you can demonstrate a time you successfully oversaw a positive change, you will demonstrate leadership potential.

Perhaps you implemented a new administrative system at your previous job or introduced a formal mentoring program to support new employees. Maybe you invented and filled a new position on your college societys committee.

You May Like: How To Conduct A Coding Interview

Questions About Leadership Style

To ensure your experience and personality add to the organization, employers could ask these leadership style questions:

• What makes a good leader?

• What’s your ideal leadership style?

• How do you measure the performance of your team?

• How do you delegate tasks to employees?

Related: Star Method Example Answer

In this video, our host, Taylor, gives an example of a behavioral interview question and a strong answer using the STAR Method.

Tell Me About A Time You Demonstrated Leadership

You dont need to have been in a specific leadership position to answer this question. For example, you could relate your situation to a volunteering position, or a group project for one of your college classes.

Emphasize through your task and action how you took on a leadership role or demonstrated leadership qualities.

For example:

I took the initiative to organize a black-tie gala at my college and successfully secured a venue and band for a reduced fee. I also oversaw a team of six other students who secured raffle prizes from local businesses. The event was a success, and we raised over $2,000 for our charity.

Also Check: Interview Questions For Api Testing

Which Of Your Past Managers Was Your Favorite Leader And Why

Suggested answer: Most people arent lucky enough to get an invested and empathetic manager, especially in their first-ever job. I still thank my stars. Fresh out of college, I had been in the company for two years. But slowly, I was beginning to stagnate and realized the only way to grow was to learn. Thats when I candidly spoke to my manager during a one-on-one and asked for guidance. I was afraid of jeopardizing my career, but I took a leap of faith.

To my surprise, not only did he help me chalk out my next steps, but he also helped me find a good masters program. He is my favorite leader because he saw me as an individual, and not just as an employee. He believed in my capabilities and encouraged me to study. It was a great learning moment for me and whenever I face a difficult situation as a manager I think about him and wonder how he would have resolved it. His leadership style was inspirational, to say the least.

ALSO READ:5 Signs Your Manager is Interested in Your Career Growth

How Do You Delegate Tasks

Itâs essential to know how to distribute work among your team, ensuring that each member has the tasks that suit their strengths or help them grow in valuable ways. Hiring teams often want to hear about the thought process you put into delegating tasks, including how you discover each team memberâs particular talents and stay on top of their progress.

professional certificate

Don’t Miss: Questions To Ask At An Exit Interview

What’s Your Leadership Style

Different leadership styles suit different workplaces and work teams. The recruiter will ask you this question to access your leadership style. Your answer needs to outline the various leadership styles and then showcase the leadership style that best describes you. Provide proof of your personal leadership style in your answer.

Example: I believe I’m a transformational leader because I motivate my team to work hard and aim to align their passions with the company’s interests. I like to lead by example and inspire my team to reach both individual and team goals. In my previous role, I implemented a rewards and recognition program which really helped my team stay motivated during busy periods.