What do you do if your leadership skills are overlooked during an interview?

Es fundamental abordar la situación de manera proactiva y constructiva. En primer lugar, solicitá retroalimentación específica sobre por qué no se destacaron tus habilidades de liderazgo y cómo podrías mejorar en este aspecto. Más tarde, buscá oportunidades para demostrar tus habilidades de liderazgo durante la entrevista, ya sea a través de ejemplos concretos de logros pasados o al abordar directamente cómo tu enfoque de liderazgo beneficiaría a la organización.

Here are steps you can take to ensure your leadership abilities are recognized: 1. Highlight Specific Examples 2. Ask Strategic Questions 3. Bring Attention to Leadership Skills 4. Use Your Resume and Cover Letter 5. Demonstrate Your Skills Through Behavior 6. Follow Up 7. Request Feedback 8. Prepare Better for Future Interviews

Look at the interview process as being on a dating site. Apply to agencies that you'd like to go on a first, second, third, hundredth date with. When you are a cultural fit, and the agency is a true match you can express your leadership skills, and potential without pretense, or desperation. Why didn't you communicate your leadership well in previous interviews? If an agency was a fit, the culture was great, and you'd otherwise be a fit, then you go back to the drawing board. Talk through the "botched" interviews with a trusted friend or confidant. They will call you out on your BS and often reflect the truth of the matter back to you.

As a Finnish (and a woman), I've found it challenging at times to confidently highlight my own strengths and experiences. I've often felt like I was showing off when discussing my skillsets in leadership. However, with practice, I've become more comfortable articulating my abilities in interviews and discussions. Rehearsing has made it feel more natural to talk about my strengths.

If your leadership skills are overlooked during an interview, start by reflecting on why this might have happened. It's helpful to directly ask the interviewers for feedback. Understanding their perspective can reveal what they missed or what additional information they need. Be ready to specifically highlight examples of your leadership in action, showing how you've successfully led teams or projects. Emphasize your adaptability and how it has played a key role in your leadership experiences. Always follow up after the interview to reiterate your leadership qualities and how they align with the needs of the position. Stay positive throughout the process, focusing on how you can better showcase your skills in future opportunities.

Few must-ask questions: 1. What are the challenges they faced in past that they are trying to resolve today 2. Apart from hiring what other actions they are taking 3. Understand if they have a product market fit or not 4. How many reps hit the quota - if less than 50% are missing the quota, either they are not set up for success or product is looking for a problem 5. In case of startup’s, ask how much cash is in the bank - what’s the runway?

Asking questions is important. An interview tells you as much about them as they are learning about you. You want to ask questions that help you understand their: ?Business mission ?Organizational values ?Culture ?Communication

La pregunta, en su acepción de invitación a abrir mundos, debería ser tan poderosa como la respuesta que invita a dar. Y si el tipo de preguntas hace hincapié en cuestiones estratégicas, del negocio, de la estructura, agilidad organizativa, preocupación por los que serán sus colaboradores directos, manejo de visión y propósito, etc., sus habilidades de liderazgo se verán totalmente reflejadas en la naturaleza de interrogantes que plantea.

If your leadership skills appear overlooked in an interview, consider it an opportunity for the interviewers to gauge your adaptability and ability to inspire. Take the lead by sharing stories illustrating how you've guided teams to success or navigated challenges with resilience. Ensure your narrative highlights your capacity to innovate and motivate others. If the conversation drifts away from leadership, gently steer it back, emphasizing your unwavering commitment to driving positive change and fostering growth. Always remember, your leadership journey is your symphony—make sure every inspiring note is heard.

This is the best time to share your personal success story. Who knows, the interviewer may have purposedly left that out to test you ability in that sense. It was happened to me once for a promotion interview. The interviewer asked quite a number of technical questions, which were not really related to how I manage and lead the team. I answered him, with the addition on how I got those numbers and overcome adversity with the team's effort to getting those numbers. It is okay if they never asked about your leadership skill. Don't just stop there. Use every opportunity to share your own case to back your credentials. Your own stories are always welcome. Have fun!

En una ocasión en la que un CEO dudaba en contratarme en una entrevista, no por cuestiones de idoneidad, sino porque venía recomendado por uno de sus 'adversarios políticos' (llamémosle así), se me ocurrió en ese mismo momento, liderar la reunión, improvisando una mini-sesión de coaching, haciéndole preguntas que le incitaran a salir de su visión sesgada. Le gustó mucho la forma de liderar esa tensa reunión, cómo lo saqué de su asunción negativa, y cómo la calidad de preguntas reflejaba lo que podía hacer por su equipo. Fue uno de los mejores clientes de mi trayectoria.

In addition, consider seeking feedback from the interviewer or a trusted mentor to understand why your leadership skills may have been overlooked. Use this feedback to refine your approach for future interviews. It's also valuable to continuously develop and refine your leadership skills through experiences, courses, or workshops, which you can then confidently discuss in future interviews. Lastly, remember that sometimes factors beyond your control, such as the interviewer's biases or the specific needs of the role, can influence the focus of the interview. Stay resilient and persistent in showcasing your leadership abilities in future opportunities.

Just mere by answering as “was part of…” chances are high that the skills can be overlooked. Ask yourself if you used powered action words like- Led, took, shown, channelised, followed etc. When it comes to follow the true leaders know the best leaders are the best followers. So in one line emphasising upon Powered action verbs will automatically brings visibility to the leadership skills. True or true?