Guide to Interview Questions: Leadership
- Are you a better leader or follower?
- Are you a leader? Give some examples.
- Are you a natural leader or a natural follower?
- Are you able to lead others?
- Are you more of a leader or follower?
- As a department manager, how would you establish staff rapport?
- Can you lead a group of (ÍÍ) employees to complete a task? If so, give an example or explain.
- Can you instruct a group of employees without feeling intimidated?
- Can you take instruction without feeling upset?
- Can you take instructions without feeling upset or hurt?
- Can you take instructions/criticisms without feeling upset?
- Can you take instructions?
- Can you work with direct supervision?
- Define cooperation.
- Describe an incident in which you had to discipline a subordinate.
- Describe an incident in which you had to give a verbal warning to a subordinate.
- Describe how you are mentoring an employee.
- Describe how you supervise other employees.
- Describe how you would discipline a subordinate for tardiness.
- Describe how you would discipline a subordinate for missing work.
- Describe how you would discipline a subordinate for missing a deadline.
- Describe how you would discipline a subordinate for inappropriate behavior.
- Describe the (best/worst) manager you have ever had.
- Describe the (best/worst) subordinate you have ever had.
- Describe the ideal supervisor-subordinate relationship.
- Describe the relationship that should exist between a supervisor and subordinates.
- Describe the toughest (manager/subordinate) you have ever had
- Describe your approach to management or supervision.
- Describe your management philosophy. Have your disappointments helped you improve yourself?
- Do you consider yourself a leader or a follower? Why?
- Do you have a unique approach to management or supervision?
- Do you have job performance appraisals?
- Do you have the attributes of a good manager?
- Do you need direct supervision?
- Do you publicly disagree with your supervisor?
- Do you report to more than one supervisor?
- Do you require close supervision?
- Do you see yourself as more technically or management oriented?
- Do you sometimes get flustered when working with supervisors?
- Do you supervise others?
- Do you think you have the personality to be a (manager/supervisor)?
- Do you think you would make a good (manager/supervisor)? Why?
- Do your subordinates come to you with personal problems?
- Explain an instance when you used your leadership skills to solve a problem.
- Explain how you have used your skills to resolve a conflict between your boss and a co-worker.
- Explain how you have supervised others.
- Explain how you have worked successfully with a team.
- Explain how you motivate others to work more efficiently.
- Have any employees you have mentored been promoted?
- Have you ever had to make decisions when your supervisor was unavailable? Explain.
- Have you had any supervisory experience? Explain.
- Have you held any leadership responsibilities? Explain.
- Have you mentored (anyone/a subordinate)?
- Have you supervised any subordinates? Explain.
- How closely are you supervised?
- How closely do you supervise others?
- How closely have your past supervisors managed you?
- How closely would you supervise an employee who was having difficulty?
- How did the employees you hired work out?
- How did you get along with your last supervisor?
- How did your boss rate your job performance?
- How do you communicate with your subordinates?
- How do you communicate with your superiors?
- How do you delegate responsibility?
- How do you establish rapport with your subordinates?
- How do you establish rapport with your subordinates?
- How do you feel your supervisor could have done a better job?
- How do you get along with superiors?
- How do you handle leadership?
- How do you supervise your staff?
- How do you think that supervisors and subordinates should act toward one another?
- How do you think your boss or a co-worker would evaluate your current job performance?
- How good are you at personnel management?
- How have past managers gotten the best out of you?
- How have you selected any subordinates you've had in the past two years?
- How many employees do you supervise?
- How many employees have you mentored?
- How many immediate subordinates have you removed from their jobs recently?
- How many levels of management did you interact with?
- How many people are you comfortable supervising?
- How would you characterize your leadership and use of authority?
- How would you deal with a subordinate who violated a company policy?
- How would you decide who to fire?
- How would you define your management philosophy?
- How would you discipline a subordinate?
- How would you evaluate your present employer's weaknesses?
- How would you go about creating a plan for your department if you were the boss?
- How would you go about terminating an employee?
- How would you handle a supervisor challenging one of your decisions?
- How would you handle reporting to more than one supervisor?
- How would you organize your staff if you managed this operation?
- How would you typify your relationship with your former boss?
- How would your subordinates describe you?
- How would your supervisor describe your leadership abilities?
- In relation to others, how do you view yourself on taking initiative?
- In what respects have you improved as a supervisor in the past few years?
- In what ways do your leadership skills show?
- Tell about your leadership skills?
- Tell me about a time where you had to stand firm and make a tough or unpopular decision in order to maintain the
standards you had set.
- Tell me about an experience where you had to manage people conflicts at work -- could you describe an incident like
this?
- Tell me about the best boss you've ever had.
- Tell me about the worst boss you've ever had.
- Tell me more than your resume does about managing our department -- for example, how do you handle acquisitions?
- What are the most important attributes of a good manager?
- What are the qualities that are most important to a manager?
- What are you looking for in a supervisor?
- What are your team-player attributes?
- What challenges have you faced in a leadership position?
- What did you dislike about your supervisor?
- What do your subordinates consider your strengths?
- What do your subordinates think of you?
- What factors do you think have contributed to your effectiveness as a supervisor?
- What is the title of the person who you report to, and what were his or her responsibilities?
- What is your management philosophy?
- What is your opinion of your current boss?
- What is your opinion of your last boss?
- What kind of boss do you prefer?
Source
Subject: Leadership Interview Questions 
