Tell me about a time you offered leadership to a team during a stressful time.

Give the interviewer context and then describe the specific actions you took to improve the situation. Any metrics or measurable improvements that occurred should be included, but you should also speak to any applicable intangible benefits like improved team morale.

If possible, describe a scenario in which you demonstrated excellence in leadership in a professional setting. While sports teams, volunteer groups, or school-based team stories can work, your response is likely to have a greater impact if it applies to a team you worked with while employed.

"My company recently went through a significant round of layoffs. I am a project manager for three separate teams, and each team lost at least one key player. Each team had difficulty focusing again once the initial shock of the situation was absorbed. Additionally, we had significant gaps in our current work plan that needed to be addressed.

I decided to pull all my teams together to talk about what happened. I felt it was important to discuss our feelings openly and productively. I opened the meeting by allowing anyone who wanted to vent to take a moment to share their thoughts, and then we focused on addressing our gaps. We came up with several creative options to move team members around and cross-train. I thanked everyone for their agile spirit and willingness to pull together to keep things moving forward.

Ultimately, we delivered all of our projects on time and within budget. Several of our clients knew what happened and thanked me personally for the leadership I showed during a difficult time. I am grateful to work with such a talented and flexible group of people, and I look forward to improving my ability to handle these situations here at Northwestern."