Advice and Examples: Do you see yourself a leader? When have you led a team?
2. Do you see yourself a leader? When have you led a team?
How to Answer
Perhaps you have led a club at work, been a coach for a youth sports team, or were on the advisory board for a non-profit organization. You should always be prepared to show the interviewer that you have a natural ability to lead others. Whether you have led a group of 500 or a team of 2, you must display to the interviewer that you are capable of handling the responsibility that comes with being a leader and mentor.
Talk about your desire to be a leader. Share with the interviewer that you strive to be a role model for others. Explain that you jump at the opportunity to lead groups, encourage your counterparts, and be the face of the organization when challenges arise.
Written by Rachelle Enns on June 11th, 2020
1st Answer Example
"In my current position, I am the President of the Social Committee. I love that I have the opportunity to encourage employee engagement while being a positive influence on the workplace culture. I am a natural leader because I start with leading by example, no matter my position. As a leader, I make myself available to others who need mentorship, a bit of assistance in adjusting to their role, or just a listening ear when they've had a tough day. I am confident in my leadership abilities and look forward to joining your team in a leadership role."
Written by Rachelle Enns on June 11th, 2020
Admin
"Although I have never officially led in the workplace, I do take on a volunteer coordinator role on the weekends with the local animal shelter. I have many qualities that will make me a good leader. I am a keen listener, and I understand how to look at the big picture without losing momentum while performing small tasks."
Written by Rachelle Enns on June 11th, 2020
Manager
"I do see myself as a leader. I currently oversee 50 employees in my company's 2nd shift production line. I host team meetings, disseminate information, monitor performance, approve scheduling and timesheets, and more. I enjoy being responsible for the activities of others while also encouraging them to take accountability for their performance."
Written by Rachelle Enns on June 11th, 2020
Marketing
"I would certainly consider myself a leader, though I'm not currently in a management role. In my previous career, I managed a small sales team. Now, in marketing, I collaborate with and encourage my team without being in an official management position. In my next leadership role, I will lead my team by showing respect, setting high but reasonable expectations, and fostering a collaborative environment where all ideas are encouraged. The beauty of being a true leader is that I don't need to be in an official position of management to exude leadership qualities."
Written by Rachelle Enns on June 11th, 2020
Retail
"I have always been a confident leader, and I thoroughly enjoy being a team leader. I have been the Assistant Manager with my company for two years now and love to lead by example and train new employees. I lead a team of eight and usually train a new employee once per month."
Written by Rachelle Enns on June 11th, 2020
Sales
"I see myself as a leader. Not only have I managed a junior sales team in two prior roles, but I also believe that leadership does not always equate to management. I am sure to lead at all times by providing the best model of enthusiasm and work ethic. I am open to new ideas and love to tackle a new project which, to me, embodies leadership."
Written by Rachelle Enns on June 11th, 2020
Teacher
"I do see myself as a leader. I lead in the classroom, I help coach extra-curricular athletics, and I encourage my fellow educators. Leadership, to me, is a mindset versus an official title."
Written by Rachelle Enns
User-Submitted Answer
"Leadership is about influence, and I have the ability to influence people, so I see myself as a leader. I have led my team on several occasions, the latest being to implement the SQCDP process, which helped to improve safety and delivery performance up from 60% to 95%."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Lauren McCabe Reviewed the Above Answer
Great response! This answer can affirm your confidence as a leader.
"I certainly consider myself a leader; I lead by example and positively influence those around me. I have led teams many times throughout my career. A notable accomplishment was leading a team to success by improving safety and delivery from 60% to 95%."
User-Submitted Answer
"I have always considered myself a leader. Coaching and teaching is a true passion of mine. Over the past ten years, I have dedicated my life to becoming the best leader I can be. Most recently, I have worked with some small groups with individuals that possess different strengths and weaknesses. I have been able to communicate a clear vision to a diverse group of individuals, and through encouragement and guidance, I was able to get them all on the same page."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Rachelle Enns Reviewed the Above Answer
You are off to a good start; however, I see many generalizations. When you are asked questions like, 'When have you...' the interviewer is looking for a specific story example. The best way to approach this is to deploy the STAR framework (Situation, Task, Action, Result). If you want to study STAR further, I have a guide here: Master Behavioral-Based Interviews Using The Star Method
I have also provided an example, below of additional details that you could add in.
"I have always considered myself a leader. Coaching and teaching (any specific group?) is a true passion of mine. Over the past ten years, I have dedicated my life to becoming the best leader I can be by... (explain your actions and set the stage). Most recently, I have worked with some small groups (where? offer some context) whose individuals possess different strengths and weaknesses (in what context?). I have been able to communicate a clear vision to a diverse group of individuals (for what purpose? To solve what pain point?), and through encouragement and guidance (specifically by doing?), I was able to get them all on the same page (what was the issue that you solved? Do you have a tangible outcome to share?)."
User-Submitted Answer
"I am a natural-born leader. From a young age, I led Sunday school classes for younger children. I was a counselor at camp and was the student council president in junior high and high school. I have led numerous teams in fundraising efforts for MS, Ride to End Aids, and Ride to Conquer Cancer. In my current sales role, I lead numerous projects within our sales team regionally and nationally and projects within my accounts. I have ample examples to pull from to illustrate my leadership abilities."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Rachelle Enns Reviewed the Above Answer
It's evident that you have a strong history of leadership, and this list of examples is solid! It would be helpful also to mention some of your leadership qualities instead of listing the experiences on their own. For instance, what leadership qualities do you exude to ensure success in your current sales role?
User-Submitted Answer
"I do see myself as a leader. I have led a team of 25-35 people per day and motivated them daily during the morning briefing. I have done the leadership program at my previous company, where I worked together in the management team."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Rachelle Enns Reviewed the Above Answer
Excellent! These are very good examples of how you lead a team.
User-Submitted Answer
"I see myself as a leader. I lead several groups of students, totaling 37 in number. I lead in the classroom, I mentor my students in all aspects of sonography and the healthcare environment, and I motivate them to excel in ultrasound and in life."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Rachelle Enns Reviewed the Above Answer
Exceptional response! Your confidence in what you do, and how you lead others is a stand-out quality :)
User-Submitted Answer
"I have demonstrated my leadership abilities in my past and current positions. For instance, when I was working as an emergency physician in an underserved area, I noticed that there are many families that are struggling financially, each family has 5 or 6 kids, and surprisingly, the mother is pregnant. As a physician, I can pass along helpful knowledge. I sat with our nurses for a few hours, and we brainstormed some ideas to help change the culture. We ended up holding a few sessions to educate women on contraceptive methods, the importance of being responsible for the needs of their children, and for good health and education. In my current position, I have also demonstrated my leadership abilities by coordinating a few research projects. For instance, in one of these research projects, I led both patients and physicians step-by-step through the study process."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Rachelle Enns Reviewed the Above Answer
It's evident that you have strong leadership skills, and I like that you have provided real-life examples to showcase your abilities. Well done!
User-Submitted Answer
"I enjoy managing teams. In my previous role, I managed two people in setting up a transparency reporting program. I try to lead by example. When working in a new team, I take time to find out about employees' work interests and how they like to work and be managed."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Rachelle Enns Reviewed the Above Answer
You show a good amount of evidence of previous leadership responsibilities. Do you have any measurable results to share from these leadership approaches?
User-Submitted Answer
"I do see myself as a leader. I was the team leader for _____ ______ for the Accounts Payable project to implement a new invoice process. During this project, I had to present information to the team on behalf of the division, then share the results with all levels of management and employees about the process. I was placed in this position by the Vice-President of the company, knowing I had the ability to lead our division."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Stephanie Cafaro Reviewed the Above Answer
Great! This is an excellent specific example of providing leadership.
User-Submitted Answer
"Although I did not have a leadership title, I feel like it is my responsibility to make sure my team is doing an excellent job with the tasks assigned to us Also recently I was involved in making a decision to take some more responsibility, we are learning new things and determining if this is something we can do or is this going to take to much time and may need to decide later, that this may be more efficiently done by another group."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Marcie Wilmot Reviewed the Above Answer
It's great that even though you don't have a leadership title right now, you still act and feel like a leader. So you might want to start your answer by directly saying that "Yes, I do see myself as a leader." and then go into how you feel it's your responsibility to make sure your team is going an excellent job. It's also good that you have an example you can cite of when you had the added responsibility of helping your team make a decision about taking on new tasks or not.
User-Submitted Answer
""ยข I have held positions within societies and through mentoring where I have led groups of up to 15 people. The fundamentals of being a leader are setting a good example and being available whenever your team needs you. I like to make everyone feel a part of the process and build teams on three key components: trust, respect, and honesty."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Cindy Ramsey Reviewed the Above Answer
Good. Try to show as well as tell. Do you have an example that shows these excellent qualities in action?
User-Submitted Answer
"I have a natural gift of leadership. I connect with people easily, I help people to meet their goals through encouragement and coaching, I share information with motivation and I listen to people's opinions. I severed a nursing unit as a charge nurse for several years. I held multiple leadership positions in my church growing up as a young woman, Women's President, Young people's Director."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Stephanie Cafaro Reviewed the Above Answer
Great response! Your response illustrates your valuable leadership qualities and ability to connect genuinely with all types of people.
User-Submitted Answer
"I am definitely a leader. As a clinical instructor, I enjoyed planning the student's day based on their goals, while ensuring they met objectives in the curriculum."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Cindy Ramsey Reviewed the Above Answer
Good, but make sure you answer that second question, and an effective way to do it is through an example.
User-Submitted Answer
"I am a natural-born leader. From a young age, I led my sports teams in high school and university. I was the club president of an international social organization named LION CLUB INTERNATIONAL. In my current position, I lead numerous projects. I have ample examples to pull from to illustrate my leadership abilities."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Stephanie Cafaro Reviewed the Above Answer
I suggest further developing your response a bit by adding a sentence to highlight why you enjoy leadership or why being in leadership roles is important to you,