Why should I be considered for a leadership position?

For many employers, a great leader is a candidate with a balanced and versatile set of skills that can apply to a variety of situations, projects, business activities, and collaboration with diverse people and businesses. While the exact leadership skills employers look for vary by industry and position, six skills are commonly sought after:

1. Communication skills

Whether answering customer questions about a new product, sending a follow-up email to staff, or presenting a yearly report to a board of directors, effective leaders know how to communicate clearly, accurately, and competently with other people. Having good communication skills involves more than written and oral communication; leaders also need to be able to listen effectively and resolve conflict between other people and themselves.

2. Problem-solving skills

Excellent leaders are able to anticipate problems and issues and develop ways to address and resolve those problems. They are solution-driven critical thinkers. Effective problem-solving skills help leaders identify opportunities for improvement and develop strategies to mitigate those issues.

3. Motivation skills

Employers look for leaders who are able to motivate employees, managers, customers, and themselves. Whether that is motivating a team to complete a last-minute deadline or encouraging customers to sign up for a loyalty program, effective leaders are able to encourage others’ motivations, goals, and interests to meet organizational goals.

4. Decision-making skills

Many jobs require a leader to make informed decisions quickly, critically, and confidently, especially when there are difficult or pressing issues to resolve. Employers look for leaders with effective decision-making skills because they want someone who is competent and confident enough to meet the organization’s goals regardless of the circumstances.

5. Integrity & trustworthiness

Employers need to be able to trust their leaders’ abilities to meet business goals as well as the decisions those leaders make. The best leaders are responsible, consistent, and accountable. These qualities help people feel comfortable in approaching them for a variety of reasons and encourage trust in their decisions.

6. Flexibility

Employers look for leaders who are able to easily adapt to inevitable and unexpected changes. Effective leaders are flexible and able to change their strategy or objective to meet a goal or solve a problem. They are open to changing methods that help the organization meet the demands of an evolving business environment.

Potential management candidates are tested thoroughly during the interview process. If you have the ambition to become an executive, you should lay out a few strong arguments for your interviewer. We’ll show you how you should confidently respond to the question, “Why do you want to be a leader?”

Are you ready for a leadership position?

Stop for a moment and think about it. A leadership position sounds promising, but it also corresponds with not only a lot of work, but also with great responsibility. Perhaps you already have some experience as a team leader? Then, you know that this position takes a lot more than just achieving success with your team.

You not only have to organize, coordinate and delegate, but also motivate – you are even the number one contact person when problems arise. Before you are ready to answer the “Why do you want to be a leader” interview question, really think about it. Are you really ready for a leadership position? Ask yourself the following questions:

• Do you enjoy the organization of work processes? Do you have the talent to accomplish this?
• Do you accept responsibilities for yourself and your employees, as well as their accomplishments?
• Can you get along well with your colleagues and staff?
• Are you a good decision maker?
• Can you enforce company policies?
• Is it easy for you to accept differing opinions?
• Do you handle criticism well?
• Are you able to resolve conflicts as they arise?
• Can you calm your nerves, even in stressful situations?
• Can you effectively select and manage teams?

Did you answer yes to most of these questions? If so, you seem to be ready for a leadership position. However, some qualities are essential for a leader. Do you have the necessary requirements?

Do you have what it takes to be an executive?

Few people are born leaders, but luckily leadership can be learned. Regardless, there are still important basic requirements you must already bring with you. Why? Unlike your employees, whose competence lies in their expertise, you need specific social skills as an aspiring executive. From now on, you will focus on leadership tasks and other tasks that you will delegate to your co-workers. Here you will find the properties that executives need:

• Respect and trust of employees
• Self-confidence and the ability to assert themselves
• Authenticity
• Communication skills
• Ability to delegate
• Empathy and knowledge of people
• Stress management
• Organizational skills
• Conflict resolution
• Commitment and motivation
• Concentration
• Willingness to make quick decisions and to set priorities

How to build your argument

There’s a lot of demand placed upon executives. They embody different roles – they are the bosses, organizers, motivators, and role models. If you are willing to take this challenge and bring at least the basic requirements, you already have everything you need to convincingly answer the question, “Why do you want to be a leader?”

Now it is important to structure your arguments – and to present them logically.

Write down your own leadership skills and list some examples in which you demonstrated these skills successfully. Maybe if it wasn’t for your conflict resolution skills, the cooperation with your new advertising agency would have failed at the last minute. Ideally, if you are applying for a management position, you would have already gained some experience in staff management. You may have already coordinated a team or headed a department when your superior was out sick.

Write down your successes and present the facts: “Over the last three months, I headed the “Marketing Innovation” project, comprised of nine members. I was not only responsible for the coordination of the project, but also the delegation of the responsibilities. Through regular meetings and feedback sessions with staff, I managed to resolve problems and conflicts at an early stage to optimize individual processes. This way, I could bring the project to completion, even three weeks earlier than scheduled.” Have no doubt when it comes to your leadership potential!

Once you have your leadership successes listed based on concrete examples, you should address your personal motivation. What motivates you in your desire to be a leader? Have you realized your avid interest in staff development during your supervisor’s last sick leave? Do you already have some good ideas that you would like to implement – perhaps a new approach to employee motivations?

Make it clear that you are willing to take responsibilities and indicate your desire to positively influence the corporate culture. Show that you are one hundred percent behind your decision. If you explain your motivation authentically and provide compelling examples of how you have used your leadership skills successfully, you will have no trouble to confidently answer the question, “Why do you want to be a leader?”