Being up front about your real shortcomings will help you avoid wasting time in the wrong job. However, it’s also important to recognize your weaknesses as a leader. When you say: “My area of weakness is that I need to get up to speed on this specific technology,” you’re stating the obvious and risk being seen as someone who has a bigger weakness to hide. Weaknesses of Emerging Leaders. Experience weaknesses simply mean you haven’t had enough exposure to certain situations, roles or industries. Conclusion: How to Prepare for a Leadership Interview. Avoid answering with statements like “I’m so good that I’m bad” or “I’m too much of a perfectionist.” Don’t claim to have conquered all of your weaknesses, either. Because he’s very focused on achieving his goals, he sometimes powers through a meeting agenda without paying attention to whether others are still with him and willing to move forward. In this question, take an example from a situation where you were in a group and took responsibility to delegate to achieve goals. So in this article, I’m going to show you EXACTLY how to handle questions about weaknesses in the job interview with example answers. My unlikely career path began at Microsoft in the world of software development. I believe that taking a strengths perspective is very important in my work with leaders. Weaknesses. Besides, by this point in your career, your successes usually more than offset your weaknesses. Stepping away from a successful career I had trained a lifetime for, I dove into leadership development. To avoid this, I’ve started being more proactive and paying attention to how I’m reacting to make sure I’m being motivational and helping foster efficiency.”, Related: Interview Question: “Tell Me About Yourself”. Each candidate has areas to improve upon in their expertise. At the same time, though, last-minute reviews can help eliminate errors and make for a more refined finished product. The key to preparing for this question is to identify weaknesses that still communicate strength. If this has been a weakness of yours in the past, explain the personality types you have had trouble working with and quickly identify the reasons why. For example, you might feel unqualified to speak up at an important meeting when your idea could help the team to achieve a goal. Example: “In my last position as a marketing intern, I found that my supervisor gave very specific instructions regarding my responsibilities. By the time you’re interviewing for your next move, you’re clear on what you want in your career as well as what you don’t want. They’ll expect detailed examples in your answer, and they want to hear a unique weakness.. To make things even tougher, some employers are now asking for 3 weaknesses. When I maintain a good work/life balance, I have found my output is more qualitative, I can get more work done and I feel excited about coming to work in the morning.”. To do so, I have created a personal framework for times when I feel overwhelmed or confused by an ambiguous task including conducting structured research and asking subject matter experts for advice. It has been helpful for me to keep a running document of the impact I have made on my team and at my organization to better understand why I should be confident about the skills and unique talents I bring to the table. Maybe it’s something specific like building pivot tables in Excel. Having problems in asking for help and time management are other common weaknesses. I also understand that there are many experts around me that have specific knowledge and skills that can make my work better. Some weaknesses that future leaders often possess include: Low Experience. I have a hard time letting go of a project. Example: “My greatest weakness is that I sometimes focus too much on the details of a project and spend too much time analyzing the finer points. 11 Essential Leadership Behavioral Interview Questions. They use the example of American composer and songwriter Cole Porter. Which of your superpowers do you use to combat a deficiency? Some examples of weaknesses include: Disorganized Self-critical/sensitive Perfectionism (note: this can be a strength in many roles, so be sure you have an example of how perfectionism can be a... Shy/Not adept at public speaking Competitive (note: similarly to … I’m a stickler for due dates and get uncomfortable when work is not completed on time. This means your towering strengths and your genuine weaknesses. Hard skills (defined by the job description) Communication skills. Analytical skills. Show ongoing and conscious effort to mitigate key weaknesses. Because I became familiar with having a strong direction, I tend to be unsure when approaching an ambiguous assignment or goal. 2. "I believe my greatest weakness as a manager is my ability to delegate. Not Having Integrity When you consider which weaknesses to mention in an interview, keep in mind that you should focus on qualities that are not central to the requirements of the job for which you are interviewing. Companies often ask this question during a job interview because they want to hear how you answer it. I can always find something that needs to be improved or changed. I have seen a negative impact on my motivation and focus when I ignore my personal needs. This will show the interviewer you’re introspective enough to know your areas of opportunity. I have learned that it is much more beneficial both for me and the business to reach out when I do not understand something or feel burned out with my workload. It’s a good sign when a job seeker displays traits like self-awareness and learning from mistakes. The greatest privilege of working with leaders is bearing witness to their acts of courage. Indeed is not a career or legal advisor and does not guarantee job interviews or offers. Example: “Because I truly love my work and have ambitious career goals, it can be difficult for me to keep a healthy balance between work and my personal life. Example: “In the past, I have found it difficult to work with aggressive personality types. You can also explain that work/life balance is something you find important in the role you are applying for. However, this answer sounded defensive and concealed what she really struggles with: people who aren’t prepared or who have hidden agendas and therefore delay decisions in meetings. Keep in mind that what hiring managers really want to know is how you handle adversity on the job. Don’t let your leadership skills and strengths become weaknesses! Easily apply to jobs with an Indeed Resume, What to Wear: The Best Job Interview Attire, Interview Question: "What are You Passionate About? Example: “My greatest weakness is that I sometimes have trouble saying ‘no’ to requests and end up taking on more than I can handle. While it is certainly honorable and shows a strong work ethic to spend your time and energy on work, it is also necessary to prioritize resting, going on vacation, spending time with your family and enjoying hobbies. Here are a few examples of the best weaknesses to mention in an interview: Being detail-oriented is typically a good thing, but if you’re someone who tends to spend too much time on the specifics of a project, it could also be considered a weakness. But with soft skills, you have to tell them the story. Example: “My greatest weakness is that I sometimes have a hard time letting go of a project. You may opt-out by. for savvy execs there’s a way to break with traditional answers and win the job. I’m a global CEO coach and keynote speaker. 3. Having good teamwork skills also means having a strong awareness of how you work with others and ways you can adjust your approach to better serve the organization. To start, think about the limitations that have challenged you at work. In the past, this has led me to feel stressed or burnt out. Then discuss the ways you have adjusted your communication or work style to better work towards a common goal together. If you know it has been difficult to ask for help in the past, explain why you know it is beneficial and the ways you have tried to improve this skill. The following list of common interview questions are related to leadership. List of Weaknesses: 10 Things to Say in an Interview 1. ", Specific programs (i.e. “Describe Your Weaknesses as a Leader.” As well as what makes you great, you should be prepared to talk about any weaknesses you may have. Subscribe To The Forbes Careers Newsletter. While having a strong work ethic and being independent are positive qualities, it is better for the business to know when to ask for help. When disclosing job interview weaknesses avoid focusing on something that is a core competency for the job. Leadership Weaknesses: How To Spot The Qualities Of A Bad Leader. Instead of spending a lot of time talking around your weaknesses, place them on the table and allow the conversation to focus where it should: on your strengths. I am accustomed to doing all of the managerial tasks myself, as I don't have an assistant manager or sometimes even a shift leader. It is an invitation to shine a spotlight with the abilities and experiences which make you a fantastic match for the occupation. Review Leadership Interview Questions and Answers . To help myself improve in this area, I use a project management app so I can visualize how much work I have at any given moment and know whether or not I have the bandwidth to take on more.”. If you do, you can learn to make up for them; if you don’t, you become even more vulnerable to their damaging effects. 2. With coaching, Yasmin decided to own her impatience. When you’re asked about your weaknesses, the employer wants to know whether you are qualified to do the job. How would your staff and colleagues describe your leadership style? 16 Leadership Weaknesses and How to Turn Them into Strengths 1. 1. A common mistake executives make in interviews is to talk about deficiencies in areas that aren’t relevant to the primary job. The best way to handle this question is to minimize the trait and emphasize the positive. The curveball comes when you are asked about flaws at a job interview. Stay away from personal qualities and concentrate more on professional traits. 11/16/2013 12:27 pm ET Updated Jan 23, 2014 President Obama's recent festival of apologies over the bumpy start to healthcare.gov underlines why it's important to know and manage the more typical reasons leaders fall down. Be prepared to tick them off on your fingers without any spin or rationalizing. Don’t talk about unrelated weaknesses. Identify the weakness. Doing so can help you feel refreshed when you are at work and can increase motivation, creativity and support a positive outlook. Before providing this as an example, you should do extensive research about the company culture. Over the next six years I went on to cultivate the talent of 11,000 managers and 720 top-tier Microsoft executives. Telling a relevant story or elaborating on how you are working to change this weakness … This article talks about four common leadership weaknesses and provides practical tips on how to deal with them, especially useful for women working in male-dominated industries. Think about it. Perhaps it’s a skill like math, writing or public speaking. Provide examples of how you leverage other colleagues’ strengths in your areas of weakness. In fact, before working with people, I conduct a comprehensive assessment including the Strength finder and DISC personality/ communication styles inventory. Asking for help is a necessary skill both when you are lacking expertise in a certain area and when you are feeling burned out or cannot handle your workload. By presenting both the problem and the solution, you can transform your weakness into a strength. Be honest and specific about key weaknesses that are relevant to the job. The challenging job interview question, “What are your weaknesses?” needs a realistic answer that doesn’t show your job will be negatively affected in any way by it. Talk in terms of teams or partnerships. Ultimately, you want to discuss your weaknesses in a job interview in a way that helps you gain ground rather than lose it. Provide an example of your leadership and the results of your efforts. While employers may not love the idea of having an employee who is preoccupied with the finer points, a candidate who assures quality and strives for balance can be a great asset. Soft skills (such as public speaking) Leadership skills. Own it. If this is the weakness you choose to present in your interview, emphasize why you value confidence, your understanding of the value you offer, and ways you have practiced displaying confidence in the workplace (even when you might not always feel it. Don’t talk about the learning curve. My unlikely career path began at Microsoft in the world of software. While I understand diversity in personalities makes a business strong, I tend to quiet my own ideas and opinions around louder colleagues. Read the sample answers (under the “Best Answers” links), and then practice providing your own answers to these questions. Who Will Find The Insurrectionists First: Law Enforcement Or HR? Ability to work in a team Knowing when and how to ask for help shows strong self-awareness and helps the organization by getting ahead of a possible inefficiency. 1. Being one of the few women in a technical field sparked my curiosity about what it means to truly lead. A few common areas people need experience in include: Lack of confidence is a common weakness, especially among entry-level contributors. To keep this impulse in check, he sets a reminder on his phone for 30 minutes into each meeting to ask how everyone is feeling about the pace and quality of the conversation. Some common weaknesses in a job interview are lack of confidence, impatience, difficulty in public speaking, lack of socializing skills, and maintaining a work-life balance. But there are right and wrong ways to talk about a weakness. Which of your superpowers do you use to combat a deficiency? No one cares if you’re not a design guru when you’re interviewing for a CFO role. Examples of Strengths for Interviews: These include analytical, communication, and leadership skills, as well as the ability to collaborate and work as a team. By learning more about them, their communication style and motivations, I am better able to collaborate with these personality types so that we both equally contribute our strengths and skills.”. I’ve been striving to improve in this area by checking in with myself at regular intervals and giving myself a chance to refocusing on the bigger picture. As an executive, be clear about what you and your interviewer should focus on during the process: you. 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