10 Common Leadership Interview Questions and their Answers

The mantle of leadership is not only about managing your subordinates but setting goals, prioritizing tasks, and becoming a strong example for your workforce by accomplishing things smartly and efficiently.

Some interviews are scheduled for a specific job that entails having leadership qualities. In this case, the interviewer will ask leading questions to know about your leadership style as well as accomplishments as a leader.

Preparing for leadership-based questions in advance will help you in edging past other rival candidates during the interview. Some of the above ten common leadership interview questions and their answers are described below for your benefit –

#1. What are the qualities needed for a good leader?

There are numerous qualities that a leader must have, but some of them are more important than others.

Make a list of those qualities, for instance, motivating the team, offering support, providing necessary tools to achieve the set goals, enhancing the strengths of the team, outstanding negotiator, good communicator and expert knowledge of the task.

Now take a deep breath and think about your plus points and align then with the ones that a leader should have. It is important to think about it beforehand because one of the most important above ten common leadership interview questions and their answers include the qualities that make a good leader.

Explain your strengths to the interviewer with the help of any real-life incident to prove your point.

#2. Describe your leadership style?

One of the above ten common leadership interview questions and their answers include asking the interviewee to describe his style of leadership.

An important thing to remember at this point is that you do not want to sound as if you are bragging or preaching, for instance, stay away from the typical words that you are a visionary leader who will bring transformational changes immediately.

Nothing can happen with a quick flick of fingers. It takes time to understand a team and then make changes as per the situation is what the answer should be. Demonstrate that you are ready for the leadership and will set high standards for yourself as well as your team.

#3. Tell me about your preferred communication methods?

Open communication is a necessity if a team leader has to find success in his endeavors, and one of the above ten common leadership interview questions and their answers are in sync with it.

Consider how you communicate with others daily, do you prefer talking on a personal basis or you use the telephonic medium as your communication tool.

Are you a fan of emails or do you prefer SMS? Remember, communication is an important aspect of leadership deal, and you mustn’t favor one above all others.

Make sure to emphasize that you have used most of the communications tools as per the demand of the hour.

#4. Do you believe in the delegation?

Do you believe in delegation is a question that is always asked an individual who is applying for a leadership role. A leader is someone who will have to delegate work at one time or another and if you are nor receptive to that way of thinking than it will not prove a point in favor in the long run.

One of the above ten common leadership interview questions and their answers include replying to it in an affirmative mode. Explain that you will take the time to know about the strengths and weakness of a team and then delegate work accordingly.

Emphasize that you will be clear in your approach so that the team members who will be working will have a clear concept about their leader’s expectations.

#5. How do your colleagues or team members describe you?

One of the above ten common leadership interview questions and their answers is how your colleagues or team members describe you? The interviewer wants to know what others have to say about you and will you be truthful in your endeavor to answer it.

The first criterion is to be honest because there is a chance that the interviewer already has a page in front of him where your colleagues and team members have spoken about you behind your back.

Think for a second and tell about something that is a fact and which depicts your leadership qualities in a good light.

#6. How will you motivate your team?

An interviewer will be interested in knowing how the applicant will motivate his team, and is he capable of doing so with ease? Determining the strengths and weakness of every member and encouraging then so that the strength shines through is an important way to motivate them.

Providing them with the necessary training to minimize their weakness is what a true leader does. This is the sort of answer the interviewer expects from the interviewee.

Make sure that you align yourself with your team and inform the interviewer that you will be setting targets and goals for every member and encouraging them to exceed their expectations with time by proving a solid motivational force.

#7. How will you settle a dispute between two key members of your team?

Conflict management quality is an integral part of leadership skills, and one of the above ten common leadership interview questions, and their answers will relate with it. It is a situational question, and the interviewer expects a direct answer that will highlight the key theme.

Demonstrate that although you hate any kind of dispute within a team, you are practical enough to accept that they can occur anytime and anywhere.

A dispute has a direct impact on not only the involved members but also the rest of the team hence you will resolve the situation by listening to both sides of the argument and then making a decision as per your sensibilities and sticking to it.

Show that you are not afraid to make tough calls if t is for the welfare of your team and your company.

#8. Have you ever failed as a leader?

One of the above ten common leadership interview questions and their answers include details about your failure. You should not discount the question out of hand and say that you have never failed as a leader.

To err is human and each one of us has made some mistakes in our journey. Explain that although you have tried to do best as a leader, there have been one or two incidents when you made a mistake and learned from it. Explain the incident and what positives you did derive from it.

This will create a positive impact on your interviewer because a true command will accept the praise as well as blame with ease.

#9. Do you believe in rewards and recognition?

An interviewer will want to know the views of an interviewee about the rewards and recognition. These are two powerful tools that a leader can use as per the need of the hour.

Be explicit and explain that you will actively select the performer of the month and highlight his achievement during the team meetings.

You will select the next two best candidates with the help of voting from the other team members and offer recognition and reward as per your discretion. The consistent performers will be recommended for increments and promotions at the end of the year.

#10. Describe a task where you led your team to success?

It is important to prepare in advance for this type of interview so that you can remember and recollect such incidences.  A significant above 10 common leadership interview questions and their answers include a description of the task that can highlight your leadership qualities.

Choose a task that proved beneficial for the company and where you had to overcome certain obstacles to find success. This is your chance to stand out, so make the most out of the situation and explain the task and your role in it.

#11. Why are you looking at this job and quitting the current one?

One of the obvious above 10 common leadership interview questions and their answers are related to your reason for quitting your current job and applying in this company. Your answer should include that you are looking for fresh challenges and further growth in your career.