What do your team members think of you as a team leader?

"I make sure to ask for frequent feedback in meetings, one-on-ones, and in informal settings. I also have an anonymous 'suggestion jar' so my team can be candid with their thoughts, and I can learn and grow without forming any bias against someone who might criticize my work. The overall feedback has included that I communicate expectations frequently and precisely. Occasionally I'm told my expectations are too high, but I am comfortable with this since I hold everyone, including myself, to high standards. I am working very hard to ensure that expectations remain achievable at the same time. To achieve this, I will often weigh in with my team members on their feelings towards projects, tasks, and deadlines."

"As a growth-focused leader, I continually seek feedback from my team members. Honest critiques help me to learn and grow my leadership skills. I conduct weekly check-ins where I meet with the account execs and the sales development pods. I ask for what I've done best that week and where I can improve. Then, I make it a point to incorporate their constructive feedback into my daily actions and touch base the following week to ensure that I'm developing in that regard."

"Consistently, I hear that I am very open, communicative, and a great cheerleader. I will hold people accountable for their tasks yet ensure they feel uplifted while achieving their goals. My area for improvement is that I talk fast when delivering new information. Since receiving feedback on my verbal speed, I have been mindful about slowing down and opening the floor for questions after meetings."

"My team members consistently comment on how much they like my open-door policy and the fact that I will participate as an equal every chance I get. It's important that even though I hold a management-level role, I am relatable and accessible. One area of improvement is how I approach motivating my team members. I have been learning how to target individual motivations and introduce specific approaches based on each team members' preference. To achieve this, I began by conducting an employee survey and then following up with 1:1 meetings to discuss each of my 15 team members' professional preferences."

"In addition to being a Grade 3 teacher, I am my school's Learning Leader for the K-4 student body. My co-workers and faculty nominated me, and I believe they enjoy seeing me in a leadership role. As a leader, I exercise excellent listening skills and am intuitive to the needs of others. I am working to gain clearer communication skills. I have started working toward my Leadership Certificate for Educators, which has already taught me helpful communication approaches for a variety of personalities."

The interviewer wants to know if you are aware of your strengths and weaknesses in leading others. Be transparent and honest about your strong points and potential shortcomings as a manager. Discuss what you genuinely feel your team would say about your leadership skills. Avoid a response that is braggadocious! Remain humble yet show that you are aware of your unique skills and abilities. When discussing your areas of weakness, be sure to include the action you are taking to improve.

"I often ask my team members for feedback on my leadership skills since it's important to me that I am evolving and growing as a manager. The points that consistently come up are that I am a clear communicator and that I am approachable. I am working on my ability to be more concise in my direction. At times, I give more detail than necessary, and my team members have mentioned that they will come to me with questions if a point is unclear. I have been working on improving my brevity in certain situations by reviewing the conversation points in my mind ahead of time."

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