Leadership Skills: Are Yours up to Par?

When was the last time you assumed a leadership role? What are the qualities of a good leader? Tell us about a time when your leadership skills failed. Describe your leadership style and give examples to illustrate your techniques. You probably know that leadership is one the most important areas that interviewers scrutinize.

Just what is a leader?

Many people scratch their heads when asked to discuss their leadership abilities, not knowing exactly what the interviewer wants to hear. Well, let's back up a bit and talk about just what leadership entails and how to find some examples in your own background. If you are a leader, you are self-confident and inspire self-confidence in others; you project personal dynamism and know how to speak in a way that moves others to action; you're good at nurturing and coaching others, helping them to be more effective and creative.


Perhaps the most important quality of a leader is the ability to build teamwork. Many interviewers see this as a sign of a sure winner.

How is Your Sales Pitch?

Perfecting your sales pitch will help you progress through the ranks, opening doors that can lead to new opportunities. So how do you begin this process? I suggest you start by imagining yourself sitting in front of a prospective employer who is saying, "Tell us about yourself." This request is akin to their asking, "Why should I buy your product. What can you do better than your competition? Convince me that you're right for this job."

Start by making a list of your best qualities as well as those that make you unique. Your skills, talents, and extra curricular activities are pluses that you'll want to describe during your soliloquy. How will you assist their organization? What have you done in the past that qualifies you for the job? What new ideas do you bring to the company? What special achievements or awards in your past should they know about? Remember, it's up to you to share this information with them. Don't make them dig for it.

Plan your delivery carefully, add to it as you acquire additional skills and experience, and remember that your success depends on being your own best salesperson.

The Informational Interview

The key to networking is to express your interest and desire in a person or firm without being obnoxious or patronizing. One approach is to seek an informational interview, in which your goal is to speak with an individual who can help you without actually asking him or her to do anything specific for you.

In essence, you are picking the brain of your subject and, at the same time, impressing him or her with your serious interest and determination. Hopefully, your actions will convince him to take a chance and hire you, should an opening become available. What you don't say, is "hire me." Instead, you solicit ideas and opinions and then put that information to work, demonstrating by your actions that you're worthy of the help you're not asking for.

Interview Attitudes

Ideally, an upcoming interview should be your last, concluding with the job offer of your dreams (or if this isn't your dream job, at least the one you want for the foreseeable future). So you're going to act like it's the one place you want to be. Why? Because attitude is probably the biggest plus or obstacle to getting hired anywhere.