How To Answer, “What Is Your Leadership Style?”

“I would like assistance on how to answer, which leadership style do you use? I have encountered this interview question 4 times not and I am not sure how to go about it,” writes Wambui Karanja in an email.

Leaders are an essential part of company success. Great leaders enable teams to achieve goals through clear direction and support. As a result, interviewers often ask questions that test for leadership skills when applicants seek positions such as supervisor, manager and executive.

Your leadership style should therefore mirror what the company is looking for.

How To Answer “What Is Your Leadership Style?” In Job Interviews

The key to answering this question is to mention a style that strikes a balance and fits well into the company’s organizational structure.

How the company is run will determine which leadership style works for them best. So, do your research on the company first and then understand that most employers will be impressed with a visionary leader. One who is available to give directions and offer guidance in the job.

Interviewers want to hear of a leadership style that you have used previously and that turned out to be successful.

To demonstrate this to the employer, give an example of a time you implemented the leadership style you consider to be the best and how it worked for the company’s advantage. Employers are always looking out for methods that are focused on improving the company’s productivity, so make sure your style guarantees that.

Use the STAR Interview Response Technique

When answering behavioral interview questions about leadership, use the STAR interview response technique:

(S) Situation: Explain the background of the situation. What was your job?

   (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?

Example Leadership Style Question & Answer

“Please share an example of a time you unexpectedly had to take up a leadership role.”

At my last job, I was a sales associate for a large company. Our company’s overall sales numbers were down from the previous quarter, and our manager asked all sales associates to suggest possible methods for improving sales. I gave a brief presentation on a solution I created, which involved changes to our sales training method. The manager liked my suggestion and put me in charge of a task force to implement this solution. I led a team of six, and we developed and implemented a new training method.

Ultimately, this solution increased our salespeople’s skills and confidence, and our numbers the next quarter surpassed our previous quarter by 15%. I believe that my ability to clearly communicate my plan to both my employer and my staff led to the great success of my project.

Do you have an upcoming interview and are wondering what questions to expect? Book a slot for our mock interview session here and pass your next job interview.