How do you come up with new leadership approaches?
When your interviewer asks about leadership approaches, it's a good idea to start with a clear understanding of the difference between management and leadership. In short, management is more about controlling, and leadership is about influencing. As a leader, you work toward getting people to buy into your vision. As a manager (who should always act as a leader), you must also ensure that daily targets are met. Anyone can be a manager, but the question is, can you be an effective leader who can motivate the hiring company's team members.
Some leadership approaches you may be embracing include:
- Showing your team flexibility and adaptability in how they work.
- Communicating with full transparency so that your team knows what to expect in most situations.
- Displaying empathy and being a helpful leader who brings a human touch to the workplace.
- Expressing an interest in the success and growth of each team member and investing in them
Now, it's time for you to express how you develop modern and effective leadership approaches. Perhaps you follow a specific influencer in the leadership space. Maybe you dedicate time to reading books, listening to leadership podcasts, or taking coursework to strengthen your leadership approaches.
"I am an enthusiastic learner, and I listen to many audiobooks on the topic of leadership and team development. I commit time every morning to listen to a leadership-related podcast, and I am actively involved in the conversations happening within my team. Lately, I have been learning a lot about Transformational Leadership, what it means, and how I can bring this leadership approach to my team. This leadership style is all about encouraging and inspiring my team to think innovatively. Transformations Leadership provides my team with autonomy while also building their enthusiasm towards the goals of the group. One industry thought leader that I follow regularly who speaks a lot about Transformational Leadership is Chester Elton. I recently read his book, 'Leading with Gratitude,' which gives strategies for showing gratitude to boost employee performance and reduce turnover. This book has been a valuable resource and has taught me numerous ways to show my team members that I appreciate them."
Unlock all 30 Tough Managerial questions
Prepare for the hardest questions interviewers use to test leadership under pressure.
Get Started