6 Leadership Interview Questions with Answers
6 Leadership Interview Questions with Answers
Good leadership skills are important for any managerial role. Leaders are tasked with the important role of guiding their team, and it’s up to them whether or not their ship sinks or swims. When looking to fill a role that requires leadership, look for somebody with soft skills that can enhance their leadership style. This will help you determine a candidate’s competencies.
Leadership styles vary, and one style may be a fit for your company culture and may benefit your team while another may not. One leadership style that may benefit your company is transformational leadership.
Another thing to consider for culture fit is a candidate’s soft skills. More than mastery of the industry that a leader is managing, leadership consists of motivating and directing people to achieve a common goal. As such, an ideal candidate will have an arsenal of soft skills to use in managing a team.
Soft skills that make a leader:
Fairness Acknowledging the good work of others is an important skill for any leader. A leader knows how to use feedback or criticism to drive people to work better.
Sensitivity A leader can keenly identify their team’s strengths and weaknesses. With this information, they move forward with decisions that will improve everybody’s morale.
Good communication When it comes to delegating difficult instructions, a good leader knows how to make it easier for their team members.
Candidness A leader shouldn’t make their members feel left in the dark. As much as possible, a leader must champion inclusivity to promote a healthy workplace. Looking for these four skills should inform what you ask your candidates. To save you the trouble, we’ve streamlined five must-ask leadership interview questions to help you with your search.
Tell me about a time you spearheaded a team project. How did you manage it and what was the outcome?
Must-have: Good leaders can steer the ship effectively, keeping themselves and the team calm and motivated while successfully meeting goals and deadlines. They can delegate reasonable tasks beforehand and have a working knowledge of the task at hand to assist when necessary so that even if something goes wrong, the team can still rectify the situation. This leadership interview question shows how well they can manage a team to deliver a project. Remember: A leader does not sit back to watch the show. Watch out for answers that only showcase delegation capabilities. Candidates who blame their team members are also something to take note of, as it can be a sign of arrogance or lack of culpability.
How do you assess the performance of your team members?
Must-have: Different leaders have different ways of gauging the effectiveness of their team members, but these ways should all still lead towards building a competent team that can meet goals. Look out for core values that they might have that can help you determine how well they fit into your organisation. Remember: A lack of structure in managing performance is a bad sign. Without it, leaders may have a harder time fairly assessing their team members. It may also hinder their ability to find what their team members excel in and what skills still need improvement, which in turn will hamper a leader’s ability to guide the team effectively.
How would you describe your leadership style?
Must-have: While no one leadership style is necessarily better than others, some styles may be more effective for your company or at least suit it better. This question will help assess how well the candidate’s approach fits your needs—or if they can bring something new to the table. Remember: A leadership style that does not meet your company’s needs may have negative effects such as poor employee retention rates. This is why good leaders often mix different styles, depending on what would suit the team or the situation better. You should be wary of candidates that show inflexibility.
Have you ever had trouble finding work-life balance? How did you solve it?
Must-have: This question is a subtle way to understand a candidate’s management skills. Unlike an entry-level employee, somebody in a senior-level position has more experience with juggling several things at once. Look for a candidate who knows how to separate work from their endeavours. Remember: Someone who can’t manage their time effectively won’t be able to lead a team. Look out for signs that a candidate has let their personal life hinder their professional life, or vice versa.
Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult decision as a leader.
Must-have: Making tough choices for the betterment of the company is a reality for all leaders. This question shows how well they navigate these situations, as well as what they prioritise. Moreover, this also shows both their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and may also show how well they can communicate their decision-making process. Remember: Decisiveness is a crucial skill in managing a team. Lacking it may hinder the candidate’s ability to effectively manage a team.
How do you motivate your team members or encourage them to develop their skills?
Must-have: Employee development is something a leader should keep in mind. Being able to keep their team members motivated while also cultivating their skills will both lead the team to successfully meet goals as well as ensure good employee retention. This shows that a leader is sensitive to their team’s needs and can effectively communicate with them. Remember: Like with the leadership style, there’s no single way to motivate a team that’s better than others. Look for a candidate whose style will fit with the team and the overall company best.
We hope this article about leadership interview questions helped you streamline things you need to look for. Feel free to use these as a guide to formulate your questions.