Key Leadership Interview Questions and How I Mentor Clients to Answer Them

1. Tell me about a time you faced a challenging situation. 

This is one of the most common leadership questions, and it’s designed to assess how well my clients can navigate tough situations on their own or while leading a team. 

How I Approach This in the Mock Interview:

• I start by helping my clients identify a meaningful challenge they’ve faced. Together, we focus on how they approached the problem, engaged their team, and ensured a positive outcome.

• Then, I guide them to use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure their response.

Example Framework:
“We were working on [describe the challenge], and my team faced [specific obstacle]. I knew [key insight about leadership], so I [action you took to lead]. The result was [outcome]—and it left the team feeling [positive takeaway].”

Real-Life Insight: My client S, experienced a situation where they made changes in their school that didn’t work out. The HUMAN side of things is that when an initiative doesn’t work out -  it’s challenging and disappointing and all stakeholders have different thoughts on the new changes. The key for her (and her school) was to show transparency, verbal reasoning, and persuasion and to hold space for the stakeholders when they explained that they were reversing the decision that they had made. 

2. How do you handle conflict with a colleague?

Handling conflict is a critical leadership skill. This question reveals how I (or my client) approach disHow I Approach This in the Mock Interview:agreements and mediate issues to create a productive outcome.

How I Approach This in the Mock Interview:

• I help clients reflect on a time they resolved a significant conflict, focusing on how they listened, communicated, and facilitated a resolution.

• We also discuss how they work to build a team culture that prevents conflict from escalating in the first place.

Example Framework:
“In one situation, [describe the conflict], I stepped in to [specific action: listen, mediate, set boundaries, etc.]. By [key strategy], I helped the team [positive resolution]. This experience taught me [lesson about conflict resolution].”

Real-Life Insight: Usually - my clients start in mock interviews by telling me that they don’t have conflict and/or they worry that their story isn’t big enough. Lots of the time my clients are conflict-averse and will do anything to avoid conflict as a leader. However, as a leader - you can’t avoid conflict so it’s important to practise negotiation, active listening and relationship development - even when times are tough. 

3. How have you included students in teaching and learning?

This question is often asked to understand how my clients engage others in the process of learning and development. It’s about fostering collaboration, empowering students, and creating an environment where everyone feels valued.

How I Approach This in the Mock Interview:

• I help clients reflect on moments when they involved students to become happy, and engaged and feel comfortable in school and around their peers. This could include supporting them and their family financially (via providing books and resources) differentiating for them, co-creating goals in the SET department, facilitating peer feedback, or encouraging ownership of projects.

• We focus on examples that show how inclusion led to better outcomes for both the learners and the overall learning environment.

Example Framework:
In [specific context], I [action: involved students in goal-setting, asked for feedback, or gave them leadership roles in a project]. This approach [positive result: deepened their understanding, improved engagement, fostered creativity, etc.] and it created a collaborative environment where they felt empowered and valued.”

Real-Life Insight: For my client P, her passion is supporting pupils from the LGBTQ+ community. Facilitating a space weekly where they could come to be together, having open conversations and modelling understanding and respect is important to her. She also hosts StandUp Awareness Week in schools for students, teachers and parents which is a huge success. Going wide on the variety of ways she supports LGBTQ+ pupils was important in her mock interview and she understood that the story was not only about The StandUp Awareness Week.

4. How do you motivate and inspire your team?

Motivation is one of the most important aspects of leadership, and this question explores how I (or my client) keep teams energised over the long term.

How I Approach This in the Mock Interview:

• I help clients identify specific strategies they’ve used, like celebrating wins, offering personalised feedback, or connecting work to a larger purpose.

• We craft their answer to reflect both their leadership style and the impact of their approach.

Example Framework:
“I find that the best way to motivate a team is [key strategy]. For example, in [situation], I [specific action: celebrated milestones, connected work to a goal, offered mentorship, etc.]. This helped my team [positive result: stay engaged, achieve success, overcome challenges, etc.].”

Real Life Insight: For my client M -reflecting on this key question word ‘HOW’ (How do you motivate and inspire your team?) revealed that she had work to do in this area. She pinpointed three further ways that she could motivate her team. 1. Regular and intentional praise 2. Celebrate small wins with the Senior Infant teachers e.g. after the literacy assessments have been completed each March. 3. Encourage all the SET team to join a CPD together and brainstorm ideas afterwards. Doing this would build her competency and self-awareness in this area. 

5. What’s your leadership style?

This question is an opportunity to demonstrate alignment with the school’s culture while showcasing the unique strengths my clients bring to the role. If they haven’t reflected on this yet, they learn the different leadership styles and pinpoint which style they feel most closely represents them. When they know what the school values most - they can then show how they already support those values. 

How I Approach This in the Mock Interview:

• I guide clients to define their leadership style by reflecting on their values, strengths, and how they approach team dynamics.

• We ensure their answer is backed by specific examples of how their style has driven results.

Example Framework:
“I would describe my leadership style as [collaborative, strategic, empathetic, etc.]. For example, in [specific project], I [action that reflects leadership style]. This approach resulted in [positive outcome].”

Real Life Insight: One client noticed that the school that he was applying to had a brilliant welcoming video on the school website for new students. He admired the video production of it and it was also helpful to him as he was applying for the role. He identified his style of leadership as transformational leadership and he connected his leadership style to this video and other ways he has transformed his school in the past. The interview panel were impressed at the level of awareness that he brought to the question. 

Tips I Share with Clients for Leadership Interviews

1. Prepare Impactful Stories:
   I coach clients to choose stories that show their ability to solve problems, make tough decisions, and inspire others. Using the STAR method keeps their responses structured and clear.

2. Demonstrate Emotional Intelligence:
   I emphasise the importance of showing empathy, self-awareness, and adaptability—traits every company looks for in a leader.

3. Tailor Responses to the School’s Needs:
   Through research, I help clients align their answers with the school’s goals and values. This creates a sense of connection and relevance.

4. Practice Confidence:
   We work on delivering answers with clarity and confidence, practising mock interviews to iron out any hesitation.

Common Leadership Interview Pitfalls to Avoid

• Rambling Answers: I help them stay concise, focusing on the most impactful parts of their story.

• Using the Pronoun ‘I’ - lots of teachers come across as not self-aware as they use the pronouns ‘you’ and ‘we’ very often. I help my clients to see that yes, while teamwork is important - it’s also important to show initiative and OWN your experience. 

• Not Answering the Question Being Asked: Many teachers are off the point when they answer an interview question or they lack enough evidence. I help them to stay on point and dig deeper to find more evidence. 

Final Thoughts

Leadership interviews are a powerful opportunity to showcase the unique value you will bring to the table. By preparing thoughtful answers to these common questions and practising how to tell authentic stories, you will walk into interviews with confidence and clarity.

🌷 In my Confident Career Leader Programme, we’ll craft stories that showcase your impact and set you apart as a leader. You can learn more about it here.