20 Customary Leadership Interview Questions

When preparing to answer a question about leadership in an interview, follow these steps to ensure a quality answer:

1. Consider the necessary skills. First, think of specific skills related to the position. Look at the job description to find a list of skills you know the hiring manager is looking for. Include these in your response.
2. Provide examples. Then, provide an example of how you’ve used this skill or skills in a past position or situation.
3. Tie to the job. Finally, explain how you would apply your knowledge, abilities, and skills to the job for which you’re interviewing.

Use these tips when crafting answers to leadership interview questions to ensure you’re providing adequate and clear information:

• Use the STAR technique. The STAR technique can help you establish a comprehensive answer to the hiring manager’s questions. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result—it’s a pneumonic to help you remember what to include in your answer. It’s a particularly useful strategy for behavioral questions the hiring manager might ask about specific situations in previous jobs. When answering, describe the situational background, your role, what you did, and what happened.
• Prepare answers in advance. Many hiring managers ask predictable questions during interviews to get to know their candidates. Review commonly asked leadership interview questions and prepare answers ahead of time to help you in your interview.
• Act like a leader. Present yourself as a leader during the interview. Use confident body language like eye contact and excellent posture to project an air of competence during the interview.
• Dress appropriately. Wear an appropriately formal outfit to the interview. Since you’re interviewing for a leadership position, a suit or an equivalent ensemble would not be out of place.
• Show how you can help. Ensure your answers conclude by explaining how you would apply your skills or experiences to the position for which you’re interviewing. Showing the hiring manager how you can help the company is a great interviewing strategy.

Here are some frequently asked interview questions about leadership:

1. Describe a time when you demonstrated leadership skills.
2. How do you delegate responsibilities to team members?
3. What skills do you think are most important for a leader?
4. How would you settle a disagreement between colleagues on your team?
5. What’s your process for tracking your team’s work performance?
6. Members of your team missed an important project deadline. How would you handle that?
7. What does unsuccessful leadership look like?
8. How frequently do you like to meet with the members of your team?
9. Why do you want to be a leader?
10. How has your past experience prepared you for this position?
11. Do you think competition between team members is effective or not?
12. How would you handle an employee who publicly disagrees with your leadership?
13. Are you comfortable changing your stance on an issue?
14. What are your strategies for building rapport with your team?
15. Describe a time you innovated on the job.
16. How would you organize projects for your team?

Here are some leadership interview questions you could be asked with example answers to help you prepare your own:

1. 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.’

2. Have you led a team before? Tell me about it.

‘I have been the team leader on several team projects before, and I also promoted to deputy manager for the department in my last position. As team leader, I enjoyed the opportunity to organize responsibilities and provide oversight for the projects. As deputy manager, my responsibilities focused on regular communication with department members to ensure we were meeting their needs and that they were meeting their goals. I enjoyed the one-on-one communication as deputy manager, and plan to implement those check-ins in this role. Meeting with individuals helps build rapport.’

3. Describe your leadership style.

‘Whenever possible, I try to be a democratic leader. I believe the best leaders ensure their teams have the tools and support they need to work, and then the leaders get out of their employees’ way. However, if conflicts arise or uncertainty makes task management a challenge for my team, I am comfortable making executive decisions to continue to meet goals and deadlines.

For example, in my last role, I held regular one-on-one and team check-ins to ensure my team was hitting deadlines and to help overcome any barriers. I rarely had to intervene beyond that, since my team felt empowered to work independently and felt supported by management.’

4. How do you motivate your employees?

‘Keeping your team motivated is of paramount importance. I have several strategies for doing so, depending on the team size and project. Generally, I like doing regular incentives. I find that a weekly or monthly prize based on reaching specific goals motivates employees to continue pushing their boundaries. I also like public praise. I try my best to publicly acknowledge each member of the team at least once a month to show that I see the work they’re doing and I appreciate it. I think both of these strategies would translate well to this office.’