You’re in an interview and need to show your leadership skills. How do you answer the tough questions?

1 Know your leadership style

Before you go to the interview, think about your leadership style and how it aligns with the company’s culture and values. Are you more of a visionary, a coach, a facilitator, or a problem-solver? How do you communicate, delegate, and collaborate with others? How do you handle conflict, feedback, and change? Be prepared to give specific examples of how you applied your leadership style in different situations and what results you achieved.

2 Use the STAR method

One of the most effective ways to answer behavioral or situational questions is to use the STAR method. This stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. It helps you structure your answer in a clear and concise way, and show how you used your leadership skills to overcome a challenge, achieve a goal, or improve a process. For example, if the interviewer asks you how you handled a difficult customer complaint, you can use the STAR method to describe the situation, the task you had to do, the action you took, and the result you obtained.

4 Ask insightful questions

Asking questions is not only a way to learn more about the company and the role, but also a way to show your leadership skills. By asking insightful questions, you can demonstrate your curiosity, your critical thinking, and your interest in the company’s vision and goals. You can also use questions to showcase your strengths, values, and expectations. For example, you can ask questions like “What are the main challenges facing the customer service department?”, “How do you measure and reward customer service performance?”, or “What are the opportunities for learning and development for customer service managers?”