How to Answer Behavioral Interview Questions Sample Answers
11 Essential Leadership Behavioral Interview Questions
Effective leadership interview questions will require candidates to provide examples of how they have demonstrated common leadership skills and are asked in the format of competency-based or behavioral interview questions
1. How would your staff and colleagues describe your leadership style? Give me an example to support your answer.
The purpose of this question is to find out if the style is congruent with the organizational culture.
The perceptive leader is able to adapt his or her style to fit the followers, employees and organizational needs. Find out about the different leadership styles
2. What are the most important values and ethics you demonstrate as a leader? Give me an example of these in practice.
3. Name some situations in which a leader may fail. Tell me about a time when you failed as a leader.
A number of factors can fall outside a leaders control such as:
If employees are lethargic and negatively orientated it can create a situation ripe for failure.
In answering strategic leadership interview questions that explore how you deal with difficult challenges, focus on how you were able to analyze the setback and seek honest feedback to learn from failure. How you used the difficult situation to encourage constructive questioning of policies and practices.
Show your ability to be resilient in the face of failure and to constantly work towards improvement.
4. What role does leadership play for a manager? How have you demonstrated this?
The leaders role is:
5. Tell me about an innovative solution you developed to a non-traditional problem.
Innovation and creativity are key competencies explored in leadership interview questions. Effective and strategic leaders promote change and innovation.
Finding solutions to unique problems are facilitated by encouraging a constant information flow in all directions and emphasizing responsiveness to changing demands.
Get help with answering questions about creativity and innovation at behavioral interview answers
6. Tell me about a time when the going got really tough. How did you rally the staff and build morale?
Leaders build a sense of common purpose by promoting the organizational vision both internally and externally.
7. What methods have you used to gain commitment from your team?
Leaders gain commitment by influencing and persuading the team to set objectives and buy into the process.
8. All leaders have to deal with conflict situations. Describe a recent disagreement you personally had to handle.
Leadership interview questions that explore how you handle conflict are looking at your ability to understand and respect different views.
Get help with answering standard interview questions about managing conflict and handling difficult situations
9. How have you persuaded employees to follow your strategic vision for the organization?
This is a typical strategic leadership interview question. Leaders develop ownership by involving employees in the decision-making and planning process.
10. How have you encouraged the learning and development of employees?
Learning happens at every opportunity. Your answer to leadership interview questions like this should demonstrate that effective leaders develop employees by:
11. What was the most significant change you brought about in an organization?
Leaders can recognize new opportunities and anticipate long term opportunities.
Think about what the concept of leadership means to you when preparing for leadership interview questions. Look back over your experiences and select insightful examples of how you have demonstrated the competencies associated with leadership.
Leadership interview questions often ask the candidate to provide a definition of leadership. The debate around defining leadership is endless and it is advisable to provide a simple and general definition that is largely agreed on. You can expand on this as you progress through your interview.
You will be asked leadership interview questions that explore your ability to:
Interview questions for strategic leadership include:
What are the top 5 skills you demonstrate as a leader?
Strategic leadership includes the ability to innovate and drive an organization or people towards new ideas and directions.
The ability to:
are all recognized leadership skills.
Focus on your strengths when answering strategic leadership interview questions. Go to the comprehensive list of strengths to help you identify your personal strengths at list of strengths and weaknesses
Leadership interview questions include What are your strengths?
How to prepare for a leadership interview
You will be asked some standard interview questions in your leadership interview. Be ready for these and come across as a prepared and confident candidate.
Use the excellent advice and guidelines at management job interview questions to help you succeed in your leadership interview.
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Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos are often considered visionary leaders for their ability to imagine and create products that society will come to rely on, but “seeing around that corner” is not what makes a visionary leader, according to Vistage speaker Luke Carlson.
Carlson, CEO and founder of Discover Strength in Minneapolis, Minnesota, believes that visionary leadership is about more than the leader.
“We have mistakenly thought a visionary leader is someone who knows where they want to go and has great ideas, but that’s not what visionary leadership is,” Carlson said. “Visionary leadership is inspiring a shared vision across an entire organization.”
So, how do you go about instilling a shared vision? Whether you want to build a $1 million company or a $2 billion firm, Carlson said it all comes down to 7 questions. If everyone in the organization can answer these questions similarly, then you’ve created a shared vision and demonstrated visionary leadership.
FAQ
What are 10 good interview questions?
- Tell Me About Yourself. …
- Why Are You the Best Person for the Job? …
- Why Do You Want This Job? …
- How Has Your Experience Prepared You for This Role? …
- Why Are You Leaving (or Have Left) Your Job? …
- What Is Your Greatest Strength? …
- What Is Your Greatest Weakness?
What should I ask a visionary?
- What are your core values? …
- What is your core purpose? …
- What is your strategic niche? …
- What is your big, hairy, audacious goal (BHAG)? …
- What is your 3-year goal? …
- What is your 1-year goal? …
- What is your strategy?
What are the 5 hardest interview questions?
- What is your greatest weakness?
- Why should we hire you?
- What’s something that you didn’t like about your last job?
- Why do you want this job?
- How do you deal with conflict with a co-worker?
- Here’s an answer for you.
What are powerful interview questions?
- How did you hear about the role? …
- What do you know about the company? …
- Why did you apply? …
- What are your key professional strengths? …
- Why should we hire you? …
- Do you have any questions for us?
