Top 21 Difficult Leadership Interview Questions In 2024 [With Answers]

Ever wondered, what is a business all about? Is it about your products? If not, Is it about your customers? I believe you aren’t getting it right. If a business was all about its products and customers then everyone in this world would have produced something and sold it to the customers. However, the truth is far from this, and we see only a few among us, becoming entrepreneurs and getting successful in life. Now, the question arises, what separates them from us. The plain and simple answer to this question is their ability to LEAD. Yes, you got that right. The real game-changer are the leadership skills, which every successful entrepreneur possesses. These skills not only enable them to face the broad challenges of life but also expands their visionary powers.

Hence, it is safe to assume that leadership is an important trait, and since the founder of your business organization is a leader, he or she will always be interested in hiring people that are natural leaders. Thus, buckle up, and be ready to face some of the most difficult leadership questions, which you will certainly face in your upcoming interviews.

Difficult Leadership Interview Questions

21 Best Leadership Questions To Study

1. Explain The Importance Of Leadership At A Workplace.

Sample Answer

Sir, teams need a leader. They need a person, who has the ability to manage, supervise and constitute them so that they are able to perform exceptionally well and deliver performances that reflects quality and precision. The role of a leader is alike of an ocean and they have to perform a variety of tasks, with the most important ones being:

  • Motivating the members of the team
  • Resolving the disputes
  • Giving and assigning targets
  • Measuring individual performances
  • Provide guidance and assistance

2. Leadership Is All About Arrogance. Comment.

Sample Answer

I completely disagree with this. I believe, this statement is based on the common perception of the people and completely ignores the on-ground reality. True and effective leaders are always soft, calm, and never possess a single strand of arrogance in their attitude and behavior. Every team member or sub-ordinate of yours wants to get attention and respect for his or her contribution. By showing arrogance, you will only keep on losing some of the best human resources to your rivals.

3. How Do You Evaluate Performances As A Leader?

Sample Answer

Being a leader, it is necessary to ensure that all the team members are on the right path and delivering performances that are high-quality and effective. There is an existence of various parameters for this purpose and specialized software can be used to track the progress. For different types of jobs, there are simply different criteria that needs to be followed for the purposes of performance measurement.

4. Tell Me The Most Important Quality Of A Leader.

Sample Answer

Sir, there are several qualities that a leader must possess. However, “Empathy” is a particular quality, which in my opinion stands out from the rest. In this, a leader just steps into the shoes of his team members and starts thinking like them. This gives a better understanding of their thought process, which can be used to get meaningful conclusions and inferences.

5. Lead By Example. How True Is This Statement In The Context Of Leadership?

Sample Answer

Sir, this statement is the essence of leadership. When you act as a leader, you stand apart from the audience. A leader will always get respect and recognition from his audience only if he is talented and his accomplishments are considerable and noteworthy. It has been an established fact that the leaders who lead by example are always more effective and influencing, as compared to the others.

6. What Is Your Understanding Of The Concept “Team Motivation”?

Sample Answer

Sir, it is common for business organizations to frame teams and divide the employees on the basis of their skills, talents, and calibers. It is necessary for all the team members to stay motivated and remain committed to their individual tasks and goals. The term “team motivation” simply means the ability of the team members to work with high passion and dedication, so as to achieve the team goals in a time-bound manner.

7. This World Has Seen Different Leaders. Can You Share About Your Favorite Leader?

Sample Answer

The rich history of the world, made by the leaders, teaches us a lot of things in life. My favorite leader is Abraham Lincoln, who teaches us to never ever give away hope in life and keep striving for excellence, no matter how hard your luck is, or no matter how low-skilled you are. Unless and until you are hardworking and keep chasing your dreams, you are a perfect individual and will be successful in life one day!

8. How Do You Lead A Team, Which Is Low On Morale?

Sample Answer

Team failures, rejections, and disappointments are a part of the corporate culture, and it is not possible every time, things pan out as they were intended to. When a team fails to perform up to the expectations despite working hard and their projects get rejected, it leads to disappointment that is ultimately transformed into low morale. The morale of such teams needs to be lifted using motivational speeches and by pressurizing them to see the bright side.

9. Leaders Do Not Work Themselves, Rather They Get The Work Done. Comment On This Statement.

Sample Answer

Sir, In my opinion, this statement is partially true. The correct statement ought to be, The leaders work hard and motivate their team members to work hard too. Almost all the sub-ordinates look upon their seniors, to know as well as understand their way of working. Hence, if a leader just gives orders while sitting in his or her air-conditioned cabin, then this sends out a wrong message and is also unethical on the part of the leader itself.

10. How Do You Respond To Negative Feedbacks?

Sample Answer

Sir, every employee, whether belonging to the top-level management or the lower-level management. must strive to improve his individual performance. The best way to capitalize upon the weaknesses is by acting on the negative feedback that a person receives. Criticisms enable an individual to understand the issues in the working. And only after gaining an understanding of such problems can a person remove them.

11. What Are The Various Strategies That You Can Use To Motivate Your Team?

Sample Answer

In my opinion, every employee working with a business organization desires “recognition”. Whenever they work hard and achieve something, which is special and noteworthy, they expect to get some recognition from their seniors. I commonly use this tactic to keep my team members motivated. Moreover, this also creates an atmosphere of competitiveness among the team members.

12. There Are Different Leadership Styles. Which One Do You Prefer?

Sample Answer

Sir, I always prefer to choose the “Affiliative” style of leadership. In this style, I always place my team members ahead of me and always try to understand their issues and problems effectively. With a greater emphasis on their problems, employees tend to become dedicated and committed towards the business organization, and work with all their strength and passion.

13. There Are Instances Of Disagreements While Working In A Team. How Do You Resolve Them?

Sample Answer

Sir, whenever there will be more than two workers working together for a common cause, there will be conflicts and disagreements at some point in time. As a leader, one must have appropriate counseling techniques so as to resolve them and make sure that such issues never occur again. The employees who are a part of the disagreement are specially called by me in my cabin and thoroughly counseled.

14. How Open Are You To Suggestions Received From Your Sub-Ordinates?

Sample Answer

Knowledge, advice, and suggestions, which are valuable, credible, and acceptable must be entertained from every possible source. This is the mantra to achieve success. I, as a leader, am always open to suggestions, no matter if they are given from the employees, that are placed lower than me in the hierarchy.

15. How Can You Transform Your Team Members Into Becoming A Leader?

Sample Answer

Sir, we will not work forever. And someone will certainly replace us one day. Thus, in order to keep the ball rolling, it is pivotal to prepare and establish leaders for tomorrow who would work with a developed sense of leadership, enthusiasm, and knowledge. It is my common habit to take leadership classes towards the weekend via the online mode and also give short lectures towards the end of business days. My subordinates really grab my knowledge really well, and I believe, they will replicate the same in their lives too.

16. What Is The Importance Of Effective Prioritization While Leading A Team?

Sample Answer

Sir, a leader has to perform a variety of business tasks while working as a leader and when associated with a team. Thus, it is necessary to have an effective prioritization technique on the basis of which you can rank your tasks in a particular order. When it comes to me, I always prioritize those tasks, which are time-consuming. This gives me a sense of relief when those are completed at the very beginning of the day.

17. The Job Of Leaders Is Stressful. How Do You Manage Your Stress Levels?

Sample Answer

Sir, I partially agree with this statement. The work of leaders can be stressful and hectic sometimes, but when you love doing something, all the elements of stress get eliminated automatically. Still, if you are a leader, you ought to learn some of the best techniques to manage stress. I manage my stress levels effectively, and to do so, I always meditate so as to improve my concentration levels and frequently engage in positive prep talk, so as to divert my mind and stop feeling the pressure.

18. Explain The Importance Of Communication In Effective Leadership.

Sample Answer

Communication, whether oral or written, plays an important role in spreading your ideas, beliefs, and thoughts. Without effective communication, a leader will never be able to achieve clarity in his ideas, and his workers or subordinates would always remain in a state of oblivion. Thus, effective communication is inevitable and pivotal; to ensure organizational success.

19. Delegation Of Powers Is An Important Leadership Concept. How Do You Distribute Powers?

Sample Answer

Sir, the delegation of powers is necessary to achieve the benefits of productivity and efficiency. An established leader would always delegate some of his powers to the eligible sub-ordinates whom he thinks would be able to execute and handle the job efficiently. Whenever I am associated with a team, I spend considerable time so as to understand the caliber and talent of each of the team members. Post this, I start delegating powers to the eligible employees.

20. What Is A Laissez-Faire Style Of Leadership?

Sample Answer

Sir, this type of leadership is suitable only for a specific set of team members or employees. For this strategy to be effective, the team members must be Highly-skilled workers, who are self-driven and maintain a high level of enthusiasm and passion. In this style of leadership, the involvement of leaders is minimal, and the guidance or instructions that they extend is also on the lower side. The objective is to give more and more breathing space to the employees so that they can manage their affairs using their own knowledge and expertise.

21. How Important Is The Accurate Assignment Of Targets To Your Team Members? And How Do You Assign Them?

Sample Answer

Sir, targets, which are to be assigned to the members of the team must be based on some realistic goals and objectives. Any hypothetical or random assignment will not only demotivate the employees but also they will tend to lose credibility upon the organization’s rules and policies. Thus, setting accurate targets is highly important. Further, I personally use historical data, the desires of the management, and organizational growth rate, to set the targets for my team members.

References

  1. https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/wk/acm/2020/00000096/00000008/art00042
  2. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1362361320981319
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