Tell me about a time you demonstrated leadership skills.
Everyone in a company, even individual contributors and consultants, is a leader in some area, making leadership skills and qualities important to have no matter what your title. Even if a job isn't a managerial role, companies typically look for someone with leadership skills because they want a person who can grow in a position within the company and have the potential to become a leader within the company in the future.
Before your interview, take some time to think about what you think makes a strong leader and what sort of leader you are and want to be, whether or not anyone would be formally reporting to you in this role. Make a list of the qualities, skills, and actions you value in a leader and use this to define what leadership means to you. Define what leadership means to you in one to two sentences, and consider structuring your answer to this question using the STAR method. Do not answer by saying you have no leadership experience--everyone has demonstrated leadership at some point in their life.
"Leading by example has gotten me the best results with the teams that I have worked with in past internships and school projects. Whenever a new project starts, I demonstrate leadership by taking the needed actions to kick the project off and demonstrating what must be done. I make sure that I organize the team in such a way that everybody is on the same page. This way, everybody understands their responsibilities to contribute to the project equally."
"Clear communication is one of my strengths. During projects, I facilitate an open and accessible environment to make sure that there are clear expectations and there is open communication. By demonstrating confidence in the team and their ability to complete the project, I try to inspire others and get the best out of every member on the team and make them perform to the best of their abilities."
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