"I have an open, enthusiastic style of leadership. A leader should want to nurture others to their fullest potential, something I have enjoyed most of my career. I strive to be an example for others to follow and help guide people to better themselves and improve their career trajectory. By emulating these leadership qualities, I have found that my teammates aren't afraid to bring me their questions or most significant challenges. They know I am here to help them and am always willing to collaborate to find a solution."

"As a Director of Account Administration, I live by the open-door leadership model. I remember how hard things could be when I started my career. Remembering the challenge, I give our account administrators space and freedom to complete their work while always leaving the conversation open for brainstorming, giving guidance, and providing advice. I genuinely want to see my team members grow and succeed."

"My leadership style can be described as creative, open, and encouraging. For instance, I strive to do what I can to foster an environment conducive to my team members' learning and growth. I find that by leading this way, I retain staff much longer, and productivity increases."

"In previous performance reviews, my leadership style has been described as attentive, open, and confident. I listen to my team members and give them the room to perform their jobs well. For example, when one of my team members is not hitting their quota, I will step in and begin coaching. I want to believe they are capable of their job unless they show me otherwise. This leadership approach has worked well with my team, and as a result, we are the top sales team in our region."

"When it comes to leadership, I think of myself as a coach. My role is to help the retail sales reps flourish. Each team member has unique strengths and weaknesses that I help them identify and then improve. Every team member learns differently, so I try to understand their needs, what motivates them, and how they like to learn."

"My most vital leadership skills include empathy, creativity, and adaptability. These skills are beneficial for me as a teacher since they help me to see each student as a unique individual while introducing new and creative ways to draw out the natural strengths in each of my students. Since my first year as an educator, I have participated in a local student/teacher mentorship program. This program has helped me hone my leadership skills while adapting to a wide variety of student needs."

"I strive to do the right thing and hope that others will follow my example. Although I have yet to work in an official leadership position, I feel that my commitment to adaptability and innovation has made a positive impact on the team members around me."

Avoid overlooking the importance of possessing leadership skills. Even if you are not applying for a formal leadership position, it's still an expectation that you act like a leader in the workplace. Regardless of your job title, be prepared to discuss the skills that showcase your ability to be a role model for others.

Author and speaker Simon Sinek says: 'Leading is not the same as being the leader. Being the leader means you hold the highest rank, either by earning it, good fortune, or navigating internal politics. Leading, however, means that others willingly follow you--not because they have to, not because they are paid to, but because they want to.'

With this definition of leadership in mind, take some time to think about how you influence others because you want to, not because you have to. Perhaps you are skilled at motivating and encouraging others, or maybe you are a person with a lot of creativity whom others want to learn from. Maybe your leadership superpower is empathy or even decisiveness.

Go to your interview prepared with examples of when you have been a proactive leader. If this is an entry-level role without a leadership component, the interviewer will still want to see that you can take the initiative when there is an opportunity.

If you're having a hard time thinking of which leadership skills you possess, consider this list of skills and qualities:

- Accountability
- Active Listening
- Creativity
- Critical Thinking
- Decisiveness
- Delegation
- Emotional Intelligence
- Empathy
- Integrity
- Motivational
- Patient
- Positivity

Choose 2-3 leadership skills that describe you best, and be prepared to give an example of these qualities in action.