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People Leaders

Leadership Skills for Success Interview Questions

How to use Cornell's Leadership Skills for Success model to gauge a candidate's behavioral competencies.

See more on the Leadership Skills for Success webpage.

  • Integrity

    Definition

    As a leader I interact with integrity, so people feel respected and engaged.

    • Convey respect and professionalism in interactions.
    • Seek to understand and then to be understood.
    • Put others at ease, and respond calmly even in difficult situations.
    • Be honest and trustworthy; have a high standard of personal conduct.
    • Acknowledge your mistakes and errors, take timely corrective action and including an apology if appropriate.
    • Demonstrate empathy and compassion for others.
    • Give, ask for and act on feedback.
    • Manage conflict, taking uncomfortable or unpopular action when necessary.

    Behavioral Indicators

    What would you expect to see in someone demonstrating this competency?

    Positive Indicators

    • Opens discussions effectively— Describes expectations, goals, requests, or future states in a way that provides clarity and excites interest.
    • Clarifies the current situation— Seeks, gives, and summarizes information; ensures that the situation/issue at hand is understood.
    • Develops others’ and own ideas— Presents own ideas; seeks and develops suggestions of others; makes procedural suggestions.
    • Facilitates agreement—Uses appropriate influence strategies (such as demonstrating benefits or giving rewards) to gain genuine agreement; persists by using different approaches as needed to gain commitment.
    • Closes discussions with clear summaries—Summarizes outcomes of discussions and establishes next steps if needed.
    • Uses Key Principles—Establishes good interpersonal relationships by helping people feel valued, appreciated, and included in discussions (enhances self-esteem, empathizes, involves, discloses, supports).
    • Maintains focus—Stays focused on work tasks and productively uses time and energy when under stress.
    • Maintains relationships—Presents a positive disposition and maintains constructive interpersonal relationships when under stress.
    • Copes effectively—Develops appropriate strategies as needed to alter conditions that create stress and to sustain physical and mental health.

    Negative Indicators

    • Irrational and defensive.
    • Does not openly participate or share opinions.
    • Defers responsibility to others.
    • Jumps to conclusions.
    • Seeks to blame others and find fault in people, programs, departments, etc. without offering a solution.

    Questions

    • There are many ways to show respect to others. What ways work best for you? Give me a specific example.

    • Give me an example of what you have done to earn others’ trust.

    • Would you or someone on your staff feel comfortable "blowing the whistle" on behavior that appeared unethical?" Why or why not?

    • Have you ever been faced with an ethical or value conflict in your job? Give me an example of when this happened to you. What did you do?

    • Have you ever delivered bad news or an unfavorable opinion to someone in a position of power? How did it go, and what were the consequences?

    • What techniques have you used to gain acceptance of ideas or plans? Give me an example of a time when you used one of these techniques.

    • Not everyone agrees with our decisions. Tell me about an unpopular decision you made and how you gained acceptance from others.

    • Describe a face-to-face meeting in which you had to influence a very sensitive person. What techniques did you use? What happened?

    • Tell me about one of the most difficult one-on-one meetings in which you had to gain someone’s agreement with or commitment to an idea or plan. What did you do?

    • When evaluating the work standards of your direct reports, what factors do you weigh the most? Describe how you have used those factors to evaluate a specific employee.

    • How did your organization establish a "zero tolerance" policy with regard to fraudulent activities and how did your organization reward employees for reporting fraudulent activities?

    • What personal principles, practices, and behaviors have resulted in your client's viewing you as a source of valued advice?

    • Describe the very best business consulting or advising relationship you have experienced, and what made it so successful?

    • Discuss from your experience the benefits and costs of pursuing/achieving a "trusted advisor" status with customers.

    Follow-Up Questions

    • Why was it important to address this situation?
    • What was the outcome?
    • How did you feel about addressing the situation and the outcome?
    • How did you perceive your colleague’s reaction?

  • Inclusion

    Definition

    Contribute positively to an inclusive environment so people feel like they belong.

    • Communicate across difference to create a collaborative, collegial, and caring community.
    • Be cooperative, open and welcoming to all.
    • Show respect, compassion and empathy for others, even in difficult situations.
    • Engage and support others regardless of background or perspective.
    • Speak up when others are being excluded or treated inappropriately.
    • Actively support work-life integration.

    Behavioral Indicators

    What would you expect to see in someone demonstrating this competency?

    Positive Indicators

    • Frequently seeks opportunities to put people at easy and feel accepted.
    • Takes initiative to create a welcoming environment.
    • Actively seeks and considers different perspectives.
    • Strives to build trust, relationships and collaborations.

    Negative Indicators

    • May demonstrate a lack of respect for others.
    • May experience difficulty in establishing effective working relationship with certain members of the community.
    • Is dismissive of others’ input and views.
    • Seeks to make independent decisions without seeking input.

    Questions

    • Describe your understanding of diversity and inclusion and how it’s related to this position.
    • How has your background and experience prepared you to be effective in an environment that holds diversity as core to our mission and values?
    • What are some of the best practices you have used to create an environment of inclusion within a workgroup?
    • Describe the climate for diversity at your current organization. What impact have you had on that climate?
    • What have you done to further diversity in your workplace? Give some examples.
    • What are some of your best practices for creating and managing a diverse work group? When have you applied them?
    • What do you see as the most challenging aspects of an increasingly diverse academic community, and what steps have you taken to meet those challenges? 
    • How would you advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion with colleagues who don’t understand its importance?
    • Describe a discussion you initiated with an individual to learn about any diversity barriers they perceived in your organization. What was the result?
    • Have you ever realized that you said or did something that may have been offensive to a colleague? How did you respond to that realization, and what was the outcome?
    • How would you explain your organization's culture in terms of collaboration?
    • What trends in relation to collaboration have you noticed within this industry? What are the implications of these trends?
    • What are some requirements for a successful collaboration to solve problems or meet goals?
    • In what ways have you integrated topics of diversity and inclusion learning as part of your professional development and what was the most recent learning opportunity you participate in?

    Follow-Up Questions

    • What was the situation, e.g. why did you have to treat them differently?

    • What was the outcome?

    • What did you learn as a result of the experience?

    • What would you have done differently and why?

  • Vision

    Definition

    Inspire and articulate a shared vision and mission so that people know how their work aligns with university and team goals.

    • Understand the University’s strategic goals and deliver aligned outcomes.
    • Embrace, promote and implement change. Deliver results today with a sustainable future in mind.
    • Demonstrate foresight and imagination to see possibilities, opportunities and trends.
    • Model stewardship within the organization and University.
    • Monitor and re-evaluate decisions, priorities, and plans in order to achieve a vision.

    Behavioral Indicators

    What would you expect to see in someone demonstrating this competency?

    Positive Indicators

    • Communicates the importance of the mission, vision and values—Helps others to understand the organization’s mission, vision and values and their importance.
    • Moves others to action—translates the mission, vision and values into day- to-day activities and behaviors; guides and motivates others to take actions that support the mission, vision and values.
    • Models the vision and values—Takes actions, makes decisions, and shapes the team or group priorities to reflect the organizations vision and values.
    • Rewards living the vision and values— Recognizes and rewards those who support the organization’s vision and values.

    Negative Indicators

    • Unable to articulate the mission, vision and values so that staff see the line of sight to their role.
    • Does not model behavior that aligns with the vision and values of the organization.

     Questions

    • Have you ever been in a situation in which you had to motivate others to take actions to support a major reorganization? How did you do that?
    • What strategies have you used to communicate a major new directive from senior management to employees? Which strategies have worked, and which have not?
    • What have you done to make your organization’s vision and values meaningful to others? Which strategies have worked and which have not?
    • Tell me about a time when you helped others shape priorities to reflect the organization’s mission, vision and values.
    • Tell me about a time when your actions or words played a critical role in realizing senior management’s vision for the organization? What actions did you take to support the vision?
    • Describe a vision you have found compelling and why.
    • Describe an occasion in which you changed a target, due date, or other element of a goal, and the impact of that change.
    • How have you advocated the mission and vision of a department throughout the organization/system?
    • Every manager has problems (turnover, low morale, low productivity) when his or her work unit is not committed to the organization’s vision. Give me an example of a time when your work group experienced these problems. What did you do?
    • Gaining commitment to a new vision can be very challenging. Tell me about a time when you could not motivate others to actively support a new vision. Why were your efforts unsuccessful?

    Follow-Up Questions

    • What was your role?
    • What was the outcome?
    • How did you feel about the outcome?
    • How was the communication received?

  • Communication

    Definition

    Communicate clearly and consistently - people feel informed and heard.

    • Seek to understand and then to be understood. Demonstrate active listening skills.
    • Express thoughts clearly, both verbally and in writing.
    • Share knowledge and information.
    • Give, receive and act upon helpful and timely feedback.

    Behavioral Indicators

    What would you expect to see in someone demonstrating this competency?

    Positive Indicators

    • Writes and speaks frequently in varied settings and styles to convey messages in a persuasive, efficient and inspiring manner.
    • Exhibits talented balance in listening to, seeking and drawing out information in others’ views; accurately synthesizes individual and group conclusions.
    • Builds trust and confidence through active listening and communicating effectively with others. Shares information freely.
    • Organizes the communication— Clarifies purpose and importance; stresses major points; follows a logical sequence.
    • Maintains audience attention—Keeps the audience engaged through use of techniques such as analogies, illustrations, an appealing style, body language, and voice inflection.
    • Adjusts to the audience—Frames message in line with audience experience, background, and expectations; uses terms, examples, and analogies that are meaningful to the audience.
    • Ensures understanding—Seeks input from audience; checks understanding; presents message in different ways to enhance understanding.
    • Adheres to accepted conventions— Uses syntax, pace, volume, diction, and mechanics appropriate to the media being used.
    • Comprehends communication from others—Attends to messages from others; correctly interprets messages and responds appropriately.

    Negative Indicators

    • Writes and speaks in ways that hamper effectively conveying messages and ideas.
    • Challenged with hearing other views and effective listening.
    • Distracted, exhibits disinterest, over reactive response, interrupts conversation, inability to restate others’ views.
    • Inability to share information that could assist others.

    Questions

    • Tell me about organizational communication projects you were involved in.
    • What communication strategies did you develop in your previous position and how were they tailored to your particular organization?
    • How did you ensure proper dissemination of information to the public and to shareholders?
    • How would you go about choosing the appropriate communication tools for different types of media?
    • Tell me about a time that you had to communicate a message to a large, diverse group of employees. How did you tailor the communication media to the target audience?
    • How did you decide what information could be freely shared throughout the organization vs what was confidential to specific functions or departments?
    • What kinds of internal communication problems have you encountered in your previous job(s)?
    • How would you describe a good listener vs. a bad listener?
    • How would you react to a speaker you were in disagreement with on a specific subject.
    • Communications and leadership go hand in hand. Give me an example of a time when your communication skills were powerful enough to enable you to influence the way others thought or acted, even in a very difficult situation?

    Follow-Up Questions

    • Tell me more about that.
    • What led you to . . .
    • What eventually happened?
    • How did others see it?
    • What did you learn?
    • Looking back, what would you do differently now, if anything?

  • Initiative

    Definition

    Empower staff to act and take initiative - people feel supported and confident in taking ownership of their work and results.

    • Encourage anticipatory thinking to identify challenges and opportunities early.
    • Actively support others in taking initiative and responsible risks to innovate.
    • Use mistakes as opportunities for learning.
    • Balance the need to seek input and the need to take action.
    • Provide clear directions and expectations that will enable others to make sound decisions.
    • Deliver results on time and within budget.

    Behavioral Indicators

    What would you expect to see in someone demonstrating this competency?

    Positive Indicators

    • Establishes good interpersonal relationships—Helps others to feel valued, appreciated, and included in discussions (enhances, self-esteem, empathizes, involves, discloses and supports).
    • Encourages others to take risks — Serves as a coach to teach when to seek input and when to take action and uses mistakes as opportunities for learning.
    • Gives and receives feedback —as a means for continuous improvement and alternative ways to view or define problems.
    • Rewards individuals who go beyond— to take action that goes beyond job requirements in order to achieve objectives.

    Negative Indicators

    • Takes credit for other peoples work/ideas.
    • Fear based leadership approach.
    • Does not share information openly with team to allow them to be proactive.

    Questions

    • Describe a recent coaching discussion that you conducted. What was the task? How, if at all, did you involve the other person in the discussion? (i.e. offer suggestions, listen to concerns, etc.)?
    • Share with me a time when a subordinate had an idea for a creative solution to a business problem? What you did you do with the information?
    • How have you rewarded or recognized innovation and risk taking of subordinates or peers?
    • Share with me a time when you encouraged anticipatory thinking to identify challenges and opportunities from your team. What was your approach? What was the outcome?
    • Share a time when you received feedback from a subordinate or peer. What did you do with it?
    • Describe the biggest professional risk that you have taken. What information did you consider before taking action? What happened?
    • How would you implement risk management within your business unit?

    Follow-Up Questions

    • What was your role?
    • What else was involved?
    • What was the outcome?
    • How did you feel about the outcome?
    • How was the feedback received?
    • What would you have done differently?

  • Judgment

    Definition

    Display sound judgment in problem solving - people proactively seek solutions to deliver results.

    • Bring stakeholders together to create alignment, shared understanding an action.
    • Ask insightful and probing questions.
    • Use data and metrics to provide informed and thoughtful analyses.
    • Consider impact on others outside your immediate area.
    • Synthesize complex information.
    • Anticipate obstacles and generate alternatives.

    Behavioral Indicators

    What would you expect to see in someone demonstrating this competency?

    Positive Indicators

    • Gathers information—Identifies and fills gaps in information required to understand strategic issues.
    • Organizes information—Organizes information and data to identify/explain major trends, problems, and causes; compares and combines information to identify underlying issues.
    • Evaluates/Selects strategies— Generates and considers options for actions to achieve a long-range goal or vision; develops decision criteria considering factors such as cost, benefits, risks, timing, and buy-in; selects the strategy most likely to succeed.
    • Establishes implementation plan— Identifies the key tasks and resources needed to achieve objectives.
    • Executes plan—Makes sure strategies are carried out; monitors results and makes adjustments as needed.

    Negative Indicators

    • Inability to recognize root causes or that an issue even exists.
    • Challenged with analyzing and pulling together data.
    • Challenged with seeing other points of view or opinions
    • Inability to be flexible and adaptable.
    • Difficulty in evaluating implications and consequences of multiple approaches.
    • Difficulty in committing to a decision and following through.
    • Is not able to gain commitment of others or is unwilling to share in the work or project.

    Questions

    • Tell me about a time when you had to implement a complex company directive. Explain how you approached the task. What happened?

    • Tell me about a time when you had to weigh different options for implementing a general directive from senior management. What factors did you consider? How did you make your decisions?

    • What strategies have you employed to make sure a major new directive from senior management was carried out? Which strategies worked, and which did not? Give me a specific example.

    • Describe a time when you recommended a plan of action in response to business/ market trends. What information did you use to make your recommendation? Was the plan executed? What was your role?

    • Describe a time when you had to significantly modify work procedures so they aligned with new strategic directives. How did you accomplish this?

    • Tell me about a time when you had to link a general directive from senior management to individual performance expectations. How did you do this, and what were the results?

    • What types of organizational systems (controls, compensation, communication, accounting, etc.) have you put in place to support a specific organizational strategy? Explain the process. What were the results?

    • Describe how you have planned tasks and acquired resources in order to implement a long-range corporate vision. What information did you consider? What steps did you take?

    • Tell me about a time when you had to implement a complex company directive. Explain how you approached the task. What happened?

    • Tell me about a time when you had to weigh different options for implementing a general directive from senior management. What factors did you consider? How did you make your decisions?

    • Sometimes it’s not easy to identify opportunities that benefit your and another department. What have you done to find new opportunities to cooperate with other departments? Give me a recent example.

    • Interdepartmental cooperation involves giving and receiving. Tell me about a time you collaborated with others to determine courses of action to achieve mutual goals.

    Follow-Up Questions

    • Tell me more about that.

    • What led you to . . .
    • What eventually happened?
    • How did others see it?
    • What did you learn?
    • Looking back, what would you do differently now, if anything?

  • Growth

    Definition

    I am a great coach - people understand their current role and career options.

    • Make work challenging, meaningful and engaging for others.
    • Identify and focus on the most significant priorities, setting achievable goals, milestones and deadlines.
    • Provides others with productive and timely feedback.
    • Delegate and provide good exposure for team members.
    • Develop people and support their growth and mobility.

    Behavioral Indicators

    What would you expect to see in someone demonstrating this competency?

    Positive Indicators

    • Clarifies the current situation— Clarifies expected behaviors, knowledge, and level of proficiency by seeking and giving information and checking for understanding.
    • Explains and demonstrates— Provides instruction, positive models and opportunities for observation in order to help others develop skills; encourages questions to ensure understanding.
    • Provides feedback and reinforcement—Gives timely, appropriate feedback on performance; reinforces efforts and progress.
    • Uses key principles—Establishes good interpersonal relationships by helping people feel valued, appreciated, and included in discussions (enhances self-esteem, empathizes, involves, discloses, supports).

    Negative Indicators

    • Has a closed door policy and avoids responsibility and decisions.
    • Fails to motivate and provide support or direction to the team.
    • Applies inappropriate pressure on the team or individuals.
    • Unwilling to confront performance issues.
    • Fails to clarify performance expectations.
    • Leaves team in the dark by failing to communicate or share information.
    • Does not provide feedback or only focuses on the negative.
    • Sees development as a cost rather that an investment.
    • Is unwilling to delegate.
    • Does not create the space for others to learn
    • Not providing opportunities to enhance or broaden the job.
    • Not allowing employees to use their new training.

    Questions 

    • Tell me what you have done to help a peer/team member understand what what knowledge/skill areas to strengthen.

    • Tell me about a time when you coached a team member to be more successful. What were the circumstances and outcome?

    • Tell me about a time you gave feedback to reinforce someone’s effective performance.

    • Have you ever been faced with an ethical or value conflict in your job? Give me an example of when this happened to you. What did you do?

    • Describe how you coached two different people to accomplish a similar task. What similarities and differences were there in your approach?

    • What are the most effective techniques you use to help another person develop his or her skills and abilities? Give me an example of a time when you used one of these techniques.

    • What are the most effective techniques you use to help another person develop his or her skills and abilities? Give me an example of a time when you used one of these techniques.

    • What steps have you taken to make sure that resources are available for a person to develop his or her skills and abilities?

    • Give me an example of a project/task/assignment you delegated to a peer to help the person develop a specific skill.

    • Are there any techniques that are particularly helpful in identifying people’s needs and capabilities? Tell me how you have used those techniques with someone.

    • Tell me how you created an on-the-job opportunity for a person to develop a particular skill.

    Follow-Up Questions

    • What was the situation e.g. why did you have to treat them differently?

    • What was the outcome?
    • What did you learn as a result of the experience?
    • What would you have done differently and why?