How to Answer the "Describe Your Leadership Style" Interview Question

Preparation for Leadership Style

• 🎯 Review accomplishments where you demonstrated leadership or management, even with just one other person.
• 🔍 Look for behavioral and communication themes within these accomplishments to identify patterns.
• 🧠 Consider your DISC profile as an additional source of insight into your natural tendencies and behaviors.
• ✅ Choose 2-4 key themes that accurately describe your management or leadership style to focus your answer.

Delivering Your Leadership Style Answer

• 🗣️ Start with a topic sentence that directly answers the question, putting your main point first (BLUF).
• 🗺️ Provide meta-communication by outlining the key themes or points you will discuss in your answer.
• 🖼️ Elaborate on each theme with brief, visual examples of your actual behaviors and communication methods.
• ⚠️ Be cautious with vocabulary, avoiding phrases like "I like to" or "you need to," which can sound theoretical or distancing.
• 🏁 End with a short wrap-up that connects your style to results, your passion for leadership, or the company culture.

The Crucial Interview Test

• ⚡ Expect a follow-up question asking for a specific example of where you led a team or group.
• 💡 Your example must demonstrate the themes you just presented in your leadership style answer.
• 🏆 Successfully answering both questions effectively can be a tiebreaker in the interview process.