{"id":26297,"date":"2021-02-05T17:09:27","date_gmt":"2021-02-05T17:09:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stonebridge-blog.positive-dedicated.net\/?p=26297"},"modified":"2021-02-05T17:09:28","modified_gmt":"2021-02-05T17:09:28","slug":"ways-to-demonstrate-leadership-in-a-job-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/blog\/leadership-and-management\/ways-to-demonstrate-leadership-in-a-job-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"Ways to Demonstrate Leadership in a Job Interview"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you want to apply for roles that involve managing or supervising staff, you\u2019ll need to be able to demonstrate your leadership skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This goes beyond any given examples of managing a team or delivering training. In fact, management and leading are often seen as interchangeable. This is not the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A good director, head of department, manager, team leader or supervisor needs to be good at both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the fundamental differences are this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Managing is ensuring the day-to-day functions or duties of the team or department are carried out correctly and to a high standard. This includes making sure goals and performance targets are met.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leadership has much more to do with getting your team to understand your vision and to work with you to achieve a shared goal. There is also a pastoral element to leadership that requires you to take an interest in the wellbeing of the team beyond their output.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This includes their physical and mental health, their home life and the relationships they have within the business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While hiring managers are looking for people with the ability to manage, they are also looking for demonstratable leadership skills too. That means, to be successful you need to know how to tackle those all-important leadership-based questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discuss Past Leadership Accomplishments<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"SAC<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The most effective way to demonstrate your leadership ability is to discuss your leadership experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have several examples ready that clearly demonstrate your ability to lead. Make sure each example describes a different situation and \u2013 therefore \u2013 required a different approach. This will help you to show how you can flex to meet the varying challenges leading a team can bring. Where possible, highlight how those experiences will help you to do the job you are being interviewed for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also worth discussing how your intervention resolved the issue and what you could have done differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t have any \u2018on the job\u2019 leadership experience, then try to apply examples from your personal life. If you volunteer, coach a sport or otherwise have an active role in your local community, you may find examples you can use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being able to prove your leadership skills through actual experiences will have a much bigger impact than words and assurances alone ever could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

State Everything Quantitatively<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s very easy to claim your leadership a sweeping success. However, hyperbole and fact rarely go hand in hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, before you go into your interview and declare you\u2019re the greatest leader since Eisenhower, consider for a moment how that could be interpreted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For every example you provide of your leadership skills, you need to be able to indicate the benefit that had on the team or the business. Or both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether that\u2019s an increase in output, a decrease in costs, growth in revenue or whatever, you need to be able to back up what you\u2019re saying with a quantitative result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also provide an indication of how long it took to see that result. Was it an over night success or did it take a little longer?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This gives your achievements context and helps your potential employer to determine the effectiveness of your leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Demonstrate you can Act Decisively<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Leadership isn\u2019t necessarily about getting great results. Of course there still needs to be an output but overseeing projects is more about management than leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leadership is the ability to think clearly and make decisions. Especially on those day-to-day issues that crop up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have some examples prepared to demonstrate how you quickly and decisively handled unforeseen situations or overcame a crisis. Make sure they illustrate your ability to think clearly and communicate effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ability to cope under pressure and steer your team through difficult situations demonstrates an ability to act in a confidence-building and trustworthy manner. That is important to employers looking for leaders to help guide their business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speak Calmly and Confidently<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"SAC<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Natural leaders are calm, easy to talk to and approachable. These qualities need to be on display during your interview. Failure to do so will damage your chances of getting the job. Essentially because your interview needs to come away feeling confident that you can lead a team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Especially if it\u2019s an established team rather than one you get to cherry pick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the core of your ability to lead will come from your personality, you still need to make sure your interviewer can see those qualities. Fortunately there are a few ways you can get right on the day:<\/p>\n\n\n\n