Behavioral Interview Question: When Have You Shown Leadership Skills?

Imagine that you are having a job interview, and the recruiter asks, “When have you shown leadership skills?” Would you know how to answer? This is a common behavioral interview question that can be hard to answer if you’ve never had a formal leadership role. However, we have some pointers to help you think about how to answer the question, even if you haven’t had a leadership title. First, let’s talk about behavioral types of questions.

What is a behavioral interview question?

Hiring managers and recruiters ask behavioral style questions to learn how you would behave in their workplace. They want you to recall your past experiences to learn how you solve problems, handle difficult situations, or engage with coworkers. Interviewers then use your answers to project how you might perform in the role they’re hiring for. Because behavioral questions are used in many industries, it’s important to be prepared for them by identifying examples and practicing your answers. Being able to quickly recall a relevant example will impress potential employers.

Why do employers ask this question?

When employers ask about leadership, they are trying to determine if you have the aptitude, skills, and experience to lead a team. They want to hear how you’ve handled difficult situations, identify your leadership style, and assess your communication and decision-making skills. Leaders often possess skills like conflict resolution, problem solving, delegation, and flexibility. How you answer this question can help hiring managers identify your strengths and weaknesses and how your approach to leadership will fit in their environment.

How do I answer this question?

The first step to answering this question is to choose an experience to share as an example. While your first thought might be leadership in the workplace, that’s not the only option. Have you coached a team, volunteered with a local scout troop, or led a school project? These are just some examples of leadership outside of the workplace you could share to answer this question.

Once you’ve decided which leadership experience to share, your next step should be to clearly explain what your responsibilities were. Use this step to give the interviewer a full picture of your experience.

Next, tell the interviewer about a specific assignment or situation you faced where you demonstrated your leadership skills. This could be how you led a team on a volunteer project. Make sure to share the outcome of the situation. Here’s an example:

• You led an effort to clean up the nearby river park. You solicited businesses to provide refreshments and supplies and recruited volunteers to do the cleanup. You assigned each volunteer a portion of the riverbank, gave them appropriate protective gear (gloves, masks, etc.), provided collection bags and guidance on how different types of litter should be handled and sorted. After the event, you asked the volunteers for feedback on suggestions for improving the project next year. Every volunteer offered to participate in next year’s cleanup. Share what you learned from the experience and how it further developed your leadership skills. If you have a thank-you note or email from the place where you volunteered, you could share it with your interviewer.

Be sure to practice your answer so you can speak with confidence to highlight your leadership skills.

How Can Ticket to Work Help

Social Security's Ticket to Work (Ticket) Program supports career development for people ages 18 through 64 who receive Social Security disability benefits (SSDI/SSI) and want to work. Through this free and voluntary program, eligible participants can work with service providers to receive the services and supports they need to find and maintain employment as they move toward financial independence through work.

The Ticket Program can support you with different forms of employment, including part time, seasonal, and full time. Through the Ticket Program, a service provider such as an Employment Network (EN) can help you practice for interviews and prepare for different questions an interviewer may ask.

Learn More

To learn more about the Ticket to Work Program, call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842. For callers who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, call 1-866-833-2967 (TTY). Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.; or visit choosework.ssa.gov.