How would you answer the interview question, What is your leadership style?

I am a visionary leader. Our mission is to promote the health of our communities and our planet, and we never lose sight of that. Everything we do– from our product to our non-profit partnerships to our social media presence– centers around supporting one another and leaving this Earth better than we found it. Every leader is a visionary. For us, our vision of a healthier future drives our decisions.

Hi, I'm Tatsiana Kerimova, a CEO & Co-founder at Orangesoft, the agency specializing in mobile and web app development with ten years of experience. Working across company strategy, development, sales, and marketing departments, I take a hands-on approach with my team and customers. For me, leadership is not a starring role. I’m the person who simply never fully separates myself from the day-to-day operations. From day one, I have been building a business that reflects my vision of the most important values of humanity. It is not only about honesty and integrity but also equal opportunities, open and clear communication. Best, Tatsiana Kerimova Orangesoft CEO & Co-Founder at

A great answer I would give to the interview question, "What is your leadership style?", is that my leadership style is to be stern, yet honest, engaging, and fair with my team. Answering with this response is the starting point but it's also very important to elaborate on the how and why you do this. Being stern can be viewed as a negative most of the time, however this is just a leaders ability to be serious and strict with their leadership, rules, policies, etc. Being honest, engaging, and fair is the huge positive point of this answer, as any good leader is bound to have all of these qualities in there leadership.

Being successful is a constant struggle. Unfortunately, it isn't something that you achieve and maintain forever without any additional perseverance. Yet, this "always hustling" attitude is, as women, what really keeps us on our toes, which I believe is the real strategy for success in being an effective leader. Personally, I set a list of clear goals that I know that I could achieve, and then I keep replacing those goals with higher, more in-depth goals. Understanding OKRs and how they work can be really helpful in this. As you move along from one goal to the next, success becomes imaginable, and then actually reachable and, finally, just within your grasp.

I describe my leadership style as empathetic, with Daniel Goleman's Emotional Intelligence and daily work experience being my manuals. I seek to make my team members feel at home and free to communicate with me and other leaders by eliminating the notion of an autocratic leader. Everyone in the team is a leader when called upon, and through their help, I've been able to implement communication-based tasks and challenges to create better team bonding and understanding. At the core of empathetic leadership is the drive to create a positive work environment that enables all employees to be their best version and advance their careers. My employees' welfare and their experience working with me are my top priority. Working with team members with a healthy work-life balance improves chances of success and career growth.

There are many answers for leadership style, but I love to respond by illustrating that my leadership style is such that it does not leave anyone out. Leaders will often delegate tasks to display that they are not biased and their leadership is inclusive. However, concrete actions such as diversity hiring are what supports an all-inclusive leadership style claim. Additionally, I advise candidates and take my own advice on this common interview question because being innovative means you can offer more opportunities to support your company's growth. An innovative leadership style is also necessary and effective in creating future leadership opportunities and grooming the next crop of leaders to ensure continuity and sustainability in the company.

My leadership style is direct and coaching. I like to support my employees when they're starting on a new job or project. While I believe in giving them autonomy rather than micromanaging, I want them to know I'm always there for them. As they build their confidence, they become more and more independent. What inspires me the most is when people reach their full potential and build upon what they have been taught.

Different workplaces require different styles of leadership and when a candidate comes to me with this question, I make sure to answer honestly and get specific about times that I have applied my specific style. I would answer the question like this..... "I would describe my leadership style as one that encourages communication and collaboration with my employees. I think it's very important to lead by example and that is why I make sure to never assign tasks to my employees that I myself couldn't complete. I am caring, compassionate and always willing to listen to my employees concerns. In fact, last week, I implemented weekly one-on-ones with my employees so that they can air any grievances about work or to just discuss the week. I want my employees to know that, like them, I am willing to listen and learn".

Any leadership role I have had, my goal has been to bring along those who can do what I do...but better. I believe every leader should train others so well that they work themselves right out of a job. So I have always taken a very hands-on approach to leading a team. Those in that inner circle will spend time shadowing me and watching what I do and how I do it, then I will let them try their hand at it with my supervision and stepping in as needed, and then I let them go for it and let the baby bird learn to fly on their own.

I have a democratic leadership style, versus an autocratic leadership style. I ask my team regularly for input, and truly value their feedback. Before making any major decision, I want everyone's voice to be heard. I believe companies grow when everyone has a seat around the table, whether you're in a management position or not. I have found this approach to boost employee engagement, satisfaction, and retention.

When I'm asked this question, I always answer responsive leadership. Each year, we conduct a client survey and every single year, responsiveness is the number one response from our clients. Whether you're leading a company or a small team, the people counting on you want timely answers to their questions. Being responsive can set you apart from the competition.

To answer this question in an interview, one needs to ensure that the answer balances the authenticity of their character while showcasing professionalism and commitment to the position. Also, making sure you don’t sound like a teleprompter is critical; Therefore, brainstorming various answers to this question can be wise. Please find my take on the question below: "I would describe my leadership style as candid and leading by example. I believe that being one with the team nurtures an honest and loyal relationship between the parties. Even though I enjoy delegating tasks and leading projects, showing your commitment and hands-on approach to your subordinates creates a healthy and productive workplace. "

I lead by example by putting passion and purpose into everything that I do. For instance, in a previous role, I developed a project management tool for our team in my spare time. It allowed our team to streamline project development so that everything was accomplished on time and on-budget.

Leading by example is one of the most effective leadership styles and is an excellent answer to this question. A successful leader understands the weight their behavior carries and sets the example and tone for an organization. A strong leader is humble, treats everyone with respect, and utilizes effective communication.

Like many interview questions, the ones concerning leadership style have their share of cliches which ring hollow in most interviews, and is why it is recommended that you always provide a story and context to highlight your answer. Simply stating general conditions you set forth such as those associated with listening and communicating, mean little to the interviewer if they cannot see them in action. Providing examples in your employment history which tested your leadership abilities, programs that you recommended and implemented to better your workplace, or even references from past co-workers and employees, will showcase your leadership style in a relatable context. By combining the adjectives of your leadership style with understandable examples, you will not only present your interviewer with a confident image, but reinforce it with positive examples.

There is no ideal answer, so honesty truly is the best policy. With that said you cannot demand from others what you yourself are not doing. Therefore, in short, you should always lead by example. You're the captain/general that needs to inspire, motivate, uplift, comfort and yes sometimes be stern and tough too. That said actions always speak louder than words and that's why those who lead by example at the front are often the most respected and admired. In other words, when your colleagues notice that you're not afraid to get your hands dirty they'll follow you along "into the battlefield".

During a job interview, you may receive an interview question about your leadership style. Effective leadership typically requires communication skills. Whatever your personal skills are, you can usually somehow relate them to communication. For instance, you're a problem-solver, which shows an interviewer that you can lead your team through a challenge. Or you've got great time management skills, which displays a sense of thoughtfulness and an ability to delegate to others. Communication is a truly broad term, so re-define your skills to fit the bill.

As a leader, you have to make the tough decisions, and that can mean insisting on the best of your staff. Yet you also need to understand those edge cases and unique situations that keep people from doing their best, despite their intentions. Having the ability to understand another's situation without getting bogged down in irrelevant details is essential to decision-making. A leadership style that reflects that is a strong indicator of success.

Be prepared! First step is identifying your leadership style. There are various styles, Authoritative, Consultative, Democratic, Transformational, Hands-off, Persuasive, and Collaborative are the most common. You may decide to use a combination of two styles. Once you explain which style(s) fit you best, share at least one real life example which includes quantifiable results from your efforts while supporting your style.

One way to answer this question is to describe your leadership philosophy, or the guiding principles that you believe make a good leader. For example, you might say that you believe in servant leadership, which means leading by serving others and putting their needs first. Alternatively, you might say that you're a transformational leader who strives to inspire and motivate others to achieve their best. Whatever leadership style you think best describes you, be sure to back it up with examples of times when you've put those principles into practice.