Leadership qualities are essential competencies of any job applicant. When you attend an interview for the senior position it is almost certain you have to face a few critical leadership questions. Those questions are meant to judge your leadership competencies and your ability to lead a team.
If any of you are attending any fresher or junior level job interviews many times the interviewer may also ask you leadership questions. They do this because leadership is not only about leading a huge team but also demonstrating a strong example of a model character in front of others or inspiring others through personal achievement.
Here we shall discuss how to answer Job Interview questions that ask about Leadership Qualities.
How to answer Job Interview questions which ask about Leadership Qualities:
Many people will advise you to use the STAR format to answer Leadership Job Interview questions. I shall give you a brief description of what a star format is. Another thing you should keep in mind leadership questions is not flat questions. Instead to judge leadership qualities many interviewers ask behavioural questions. Behavioural interview questions ask for examples of how you have demonstrated specific competencies in the past (the questions usually begin with “Tell me about a time…” or “Give me an example of…”). Thus either you prepare well in advance, or rather, be – totally honest in answering such questions.
When answering behavioural interview questions about leadership, you may use the STAR interview response technique. Star stands for a) Situation, b) Task, c) Action and d) Result
Now how should you answer in the STAR model? Select an example that really shows off your leadership skills. Review the job description carefully and identify the type of leadership skills required for the role. Often, the desired leadership capabilities you shall find out right in the job description (One position may require managing a large team and another may be looking for someone who can take initiative.)
Now you should reframe the answer in star model:
(S) Situation: What was your job? Explain the background of the situation.
(T) Task: What was the particular task you had to perform? If there was a particular problem you were addressing, explain what it was.
(A) Action: What action did you take (or what skills did you use) to complete the task, or solve the problem?
(R) Result: What was the outcome of the situation? Did you complete the task well? Did you solve the problem?
Below I am providing a few Leadership job interview questions:
- How can you contribute to this Company?
- What are the specific past incidents that help you excel in this job?
- Why should we hire you?
- What value can you add to our company?
- Do you think you are the best fit for this job? How?
- What are your accomplishments and failures in the past? How can they contribute to your present jobs?
- What major challenges and problems did you face? How did you handle them?
- What motivates you most?
- How shall you define success?
Let us know which interview questions you are finding very difficult to answer? Post your comments and suggestions below at the comment box.
Sayak takes care of both recruitments and assessment projects of The HR Monks team. He loves helping people finding their dream job.
He started his journey in career leaving the shores of Waiting for Godot and found The HR Monks a better place, where he can change the lives of people by helping them achieve their dreams.
He has been to quite a fewer place across India and loves to travel. He loves two books, in particular, one Siddhartha by Herman Hesse and the other The Shift by Dr. Wayne Dyer.