15. Are you a leader or a follower?
Why this question is being asked: The interviewer wants to understand how you'd fit into the organization given your role.
Strategy: Every organization values some leadership qualities but wants someone who will follow directives as well. Try to maintain a balance between the two.
Sample answer: I take a leadership role on those occasions that call for expertise or experience that I have and which my colleagues may not possess. l am always ready to share my knowledge. But as a leader, I understand that sometimes it important to be a good follower as well in order to learn from others.
16. What are some of your leadership experiences? Why this question is being asked: As the ability to lead is an important quality no matter what your role, the interviewer wants to know more about your ability to lead by learning if you have done so in the past.
Strategy: Provide a memorable story (or two) that demonstrates your leadership qualities. It is better to provide only one or two stories than to provide a laundry list of all of your leadership experiences, with none being memorable following the interview.
Sample answer: Every quarter, my department has to provide a report on its accomplishments to the executives. I volunteered for the role of team lead in gathering this information from co-workers and ensuring that it was as accurate and organized as possible. I called several team meetings to set objectives and deadlines for our work and met with individual members to answer any questions and to make sure we were on the same page. We produced a report that was praised by the executive team and I have been the go-to person ever since.
