What do you do if your leadership experience is questioned during an interview?

Treat is as feedback… ask for further clarity as to what has led them to that conclusion; and what they would have liked to have seen more/less of from you. You can then build examples around those; maybe calling out how you did those things as well, or maybe how you thought the same and developed before future work.

Always stay calm and friendly during interviews, even when someone questions your leadership and other skills. This questioning is a part of any well-established process and a good sign that they are interested in exploring you and your abilities and trying to figure things out.

Stay composed and address the question with specific examples. Begin by clarifying the context of your leadership roles, such as managing teams, leading projects, or overseeing tasks. Provide a detailed example that highlights a challenge you faced, the actions you took as a leader, and the successful results you achieved. Focus on skills like effective communication, teamwork, and conflict resolution. Emphasize how your leadership contributed to positive outcomes, such as improved team performance or successful project completion. By grounding your response in real-life scenarios, you demonstrate your credibility and capability as a leader.

El mantener la calma demuestra tu capacidad para manejar la presión, el cual se considera una habilidad esencial. No debes tomarte esas preguntas como algo personal; son simplemente parte del proceso.

Start with "I understand your concerns" and describe your leadership experiences honestly. Use the OSCAR model: Highlight your leadership by discussing the Outcomes you've achieved, the Situations you faced, the Choices you made, the Actions you took, and how you Reviewed the results

identifies in detail how growth and leadership develop. Point out that throughout the day there are various situations and various occasions in which one can demonstrate one's leadership and above all it is not necessary to demonstrate it in all phases

Your early leadership experiences may not have been perfect, but that's okay. You can use those experiences to showcase your growth and the valuable lessons you have learned along the way. Accept some mistakes, discuss complex decisions you made, and illustrate your development.

identify what they are challenging you and point out that there are multiple temporal variables that can influence certain behaviors. Please note that environmental variables can also influence the results

Counter doubts about your leadership by offering concrete examples of your experiences. Share specific instances where you demonstrated leadership skills, such as leading a team project, resolving conflicts, or mentoring colleagues. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your examples and highlight your abilities clearly. Practical Tip: Prepare a few compelling stories in advance that showcase different aspects of your leadership experience to draw upon during the interview.

Focus on the tangible impacts and outcomes of your leadership efforts. Highlight how your leadership contributed to achieving goals, driving results, or improving processes within your previous roles. Quantify your achievements whenever possible to demonstrate the value you brought to the team or organization. Practical Tip: Use metrics such as revenue growth, cost savings, or team performance improvements to quantify the impact of your leadership contributions, making them more compelling to interviewers.

Don't forget to see your past experiences in a future perspective. You can elaborate on what you have done and the successes you have achieved by indicating how they could be useful in hypothetical future actions and situations

Articulate your vision for leadership and how you plan to apply it in the prospective role. Discuss your leadership philosophy, values, and approach to motivating and inspiring teams. Share ideas for driving innovation, fostering collaboration, or overcoming challenges based on your past experiences and insights. Practical Tip: Tailor your future vision to align with the organization's goals and values, demonstrating your commitment to contributing positively to its success.

Always know your own value, strengths and expertise. If you find your experience "getting questioned" in an interview, first take a deep breath and share examples of your accomplishments, impact, wins and successes. Keep a record of your wins and accomplishments so they are easily accessible in your brain. We tend to hold a lot of space for things we perceive as negative or failures and skim over all of the great things we achieve. Also pay attention to how it feels in your body. If the "questioning" feels as if it is coming from a place of bias, use your discernment on alignment with the company or role to your well-being.