Use this guide to evaluate practical leadership skills for frontline managers and team leads. Each question includes follow-ups and examples of what strong answers include.

Leadership & Ownership

Tell me about a time you inherited a struggling team. What did you do in the first 60–90 days?

Follow-ups: What was the context? Who were the stakeholders? What options did you consider? How did you measure impact? What would you do differently?

What good looks like:

• Builds trust and a fact base (1:1s, data, customer feedback)
• Clarifies mission, priorities, and ways of working
• Quick wins + medium-term plan; communicates progress visibly
• Measures impact on quality, throughput, and morale

How do you set expectations and hold people accountable?

Follow-ups: What was the context? Who were the stakeholders? What options did you consider? How did you measure impact? What would you do differently?

What good looks like:

• Defines outcomes and behaviors; writes them down
• Uses clear check-ins and rubrics; documents agreements
• Provides support and removes blockers before consequences
• Balances empathy with standards; escalates fairly

Communication & Collaboration

Give an example of translating leadership goals into clear work for your team.

Follow-ups: What was the context? Who were the stakeholders? What options did you consider? How did you measure impact? What would you do differently?

What good looks like:

• Converts strategy to concrete tasks and owners
• Confirms understanding; aligns dependencies with peers
• Shares the why; adapts for different audiences

How do you communicate bad news or a change in plan?

Follow-ups: What was the context? Who were the stakeholders? What options did you consider? How did you measure impact? What would you do differently?

What good looks like:

• Timely, transparent, and specific
• Explains rationale and impact; offers next steps
• Listens to concerns; captures follow-ups and owners

Coaching & Development

Walk me through how you coach a capable but inconsistent performer.

Follow-ups: What was the context? Who were the stakeholders? What options did you consider? How did you measure impact? What would you do differently?

What good looks like:

• Diagnoses root cause (skill, will, or context)
• Sets SMART goals with checkpoints
• Pairs practice/feedback with resources
• Tracks progress; adjusts plan or escalates when needed

How do you develop future leaders on your team?

Follow-ups: What was the context? Who were the stakeholders? What options did you consider? How did you measure impact? What would you do differently?

What good looks like:

• Stretch assignments and shadowing opportunities
• Clear competency model and feedback loops
• Visibility with stakeholders; succession planning

Planning, Prioritization & Execution

How do you plan work and handle shifting priorities?

Follow-ups: What was the context? Who were the stakeholders? What options did you consider? How did you measure impact? What would you do differently?

What good looks like:

• Uses a visible plan/board; identifies critical path and risks
• Negotiates scope vs. timeline; protects focus time
• Reviews weekly; adjusts based on data and feedback

Describe a time you improved a process that increased team throughput or quality.

Follow-ups: What was the context? Who were the stakeholders? What options did you consider? How did you measure impact? What would you do differently?

What good looks like:

• Maps current state; finds bottlenecks using data
• Runs small experiments; standardizes improved steps
• Shows measurable results; sustains with metrics/owners

Team Culture & Motivation

What do you do to keep morale high during high-pressure periods?

Follow-ups: What was the context? Who were the stakeholders? What options did you consider? How did you measure impact? What would you do differently?

What good looks like:

• Sets realistic goals and celebrates progress
• Rotates load; creates recovery windows
• Transparent comms; recognizes contributions specifically

Tell me about a time you rebuilt trust after a mistake you made as a leader.

Follow-ups: What was the context? Who were the stakeholders? What options did you consider? How did you measure impact? What would you do differently?

What good looks like:

• Owns the error publicly; explains the fix
• Invites feedback; changes a process or habit
• Demonstrates consistency over time

Conflict Resolution

Describe a conflict within your team and how you resolved it.

Follow-ups: What was the context? Who were the stakeholders? What options did you consider? How did you measure impact? What would you do differently?

What good looks like:

• Surfaces interests behind positions; facilitates facts first
• Agrees on norms/decision criteria; documents outcomes
• Follows up to ensure behavior change

How do you handle misalignment with a peer leader from another function?

Follow-ups: What was the context? Who were the stakeholders? What options did you consider? How did you measure impact? What would you do differently?

What good looks like:

• Seeks shared outcomes; proposes options with trade-offs
• Escalates with context and recommendations when needed
• Keeps teams unblocked while leaders decide

Performance Management & Hiring

Share a time you managed a low performer fairly and effectively.

Follow-ups: What was the context? Who were the stakeholders? What options did you consider? How did you measure impact? What would you do differently?

What good looks like:

• Clear expectations and evidence; coaching attempts documented
• Time-bound plan with checkpoints; HR partnership when needed
• Respectful outcomes: improvement, role change, or exit

How do you hire for your team?

Follow-ups: What was the context? Who were the stakeholders? What options did you consider? How did you measure impact? What would you do differently?

What good looks like:

• Defines must-haves; uses practical exercises and structured rubrics
• Diverse sourcing; panel calibration; reference checks
• Onboarding plan that accelerates time-to-productivity

Metrics & Outcomes

What metrics do you use to know your team is healthy and effective?

Follow-ups: What was the context? Who were the stakeholders? What options did you consider? How did you measure impact? What would you do differently?

What good looks like:

• Leading and lagging indicators (quality, throughput, SLA, engagement)
• Predictable delivery and low defect/incident rates
• Skills growth and internal mobility

Tell me about a goal you missed. What did you learn?

Follow-ups: What was the context? Who were the stakeholders? What options did you consider? How did you measure impact? What would you do differently?

What good looks like:

• Owns the miss; shares data and root cause
• Improvements implemented; evidence of sustained change

Scenario Exercises (Take‑Home or Live)

Create a 30‑60‑90 day plan for inheriting a 10‑person team with slipping deadlines.

Follow-ups: What was the context? Who were the stakeholders? What options did you consider? How did you measure impact? What would you do differently?

What good looks like:

• Discovery plan (1:1s, metrics); immediate stabilizers
• Priority reset, rituals, and risk register
• Success metrics and stakeholder map

Given a backlog and a hard deadline, outline how you’d prioritize and communicate trade-offs.

Follow-ups: What was the context? Who were the stakeholders? What options did you consider? How did you measure impact? What would you do differently?

What good looks like:

• Simple scoring model; dependency awareness
• Stakeholder updates and decision checkpoints
• Definition of done and acceptance criteria

Draft a coaching plan for a strong IC struggling with communication.

Follow-ups: What was the context? Who were the stakeholders? What options did you consider? How did you measure impact? What would you do differently?

What good looks like:

• Clarifies behaviors and impact
• Practice + feedback + observation plan
• Milestones and review timeline

Red Flags

• Vague answers with no metrics or ownership
• Avoids hard conversations; blames others
• Focus on activity over outcomes; no learning
• No process for planning or prioritization
• Inconsistent standards or favoritism

Evaluation Rubric (Anchor Examples)

• 4 – Excellent: Sets clear goals, coaches effectively, resolves conflicts constructively, improves processes, and delivers measurable results.
• 3 – Strong: Good leadership foundations; minor gaps in measurement, prioritization, or influence.
• 2 – Mixed: Some structure but inconsistent accountability or weak metrics.
• 1 – Weak: Generic stories, poor ownership, or inability to drive outcomes.