If you earn £65k+ and are in a leadership role ...

[creameggz]

... how would you describe your leadership style?

I'm asking because I was recently turned down for a role I applied to, and the feedback cited my answer to this question as one of the reasons. I'm hoping to answer it better if there is a next time.

Well, what is your leadership style?
I think with this kind of question they want to know if you’ve reflected on what it means to lead a team: how you aspire to lead, the challenges it can throw up, other leaders you admire. Can you sim yourself up in a sentence?

if it’s a competency interview, it would be good to have an example of leading thru a tricky time, eg a restructure or some crisis. How did you bring people with you?

Sum not sim. Possibly my leadership style does not involve fine detail…

Direct, honest, firm but fair, energising and building capability. I leave things better than I found them.

This is very role and industry specific so you really have to think about what it means specifically to you. In my job (education sector) I see my role as a leader is to do three things:

Define the right outcomes for people, so they know what the business is trying to achieve. They are empowered to achieve those outcomes in the best way they know how.

Remove the barriers to people doing the best job they can - organisational, process etc.

Identify and nurture talent so people can grow, benefiting from career progression and contributing more to the company.

So I would say my style is collaborative, empowering and supportive.

All of this. They want to know you won't shy away from hard conversations (managers who have 'that one person' on their team they complain about and nothing happens with KILLS morale), but also you're not a robot and will support your team to be better.

Is it possible you talked about management rather than leadership? A lot of people do when asked this question (some of the answers on this thread included).

Mine is hands off but supportive. Happy to pitch in with the mundane when necessary.

I would Google leadership styles, read up on them and decide which one I am. I don't see a point in trying to pretend someone you I am not as it's impossible