1. Interview Technique
The STAR Method

2. Tell me about a time you had to lead and motivate people…
How do you answer this type of question? It can seem daunting and overwhelming when you try to organize your thoughts and ideas into a detailed, yet concise answer.
If you are too vague you run the risk of selling yourself short
If you go on too long with far too many details, you run the risk of bragging and losing your audience
The answer: The STAR Format
The goal is not to script out an answer word-for-word. The STAR format allows you to structure the general shape of your response by jotting down bullets for each of the key aspects of the story.

3. “Tell me about a time you had to lead and motivate people.”
STAR Format
“Tell me about a time you had to lead and motivate people.”

4. S/T (Situation/Task) Briefly describe the project or situation
S/T (Situation/Task) Briefly describe the project or situation. Give just enough history and/or background to provide context.
Example
What was the Situation?
Leadership 12 was asked to go to classrooms to deliver the message to students that they were not allowed to Vape in school or on school property.
What were YOU tasked with doing?
I was responsible for researching half of the PowerPoint and creating speaking notes and practicing.
However, my partner was frequently absent.
I had to absorb the duties of the two that were frequently absent.
I stepped up as my team leader to organize a schedule to practice and get things back on track.

5. S/T (Situation/Task) Why these are good bullets:
With these bullets, the candidate quickly paints a picture of the challenge faced. She had to motivate her partner who was stressed out, negative, apathetic and overworked. This scenario obviously required strong leadership skills.
Tip: Avoid the temptation to get bogged down in too much detail. You don’t need to fill the interviewer in on the reasons for the absences, exactly how individual team members responded, or exactly what mistakes were being made.

6. A (Approach) Talk about the key actions that you took
A (Approach) Talk about the key actions that you took. When telling a leadership story, make sure that you convey specifically how you stepped up as a leader. What actions did you take and why? How did your actions demonstrate leadership?
Example
I scheduled a meeting with the team to discuss strategies like...
I thanked them for continuing to work hard despite the challenges (specifically) we were facing.
I asked for their assistance in identifying how we could all be more efficient, and what tasks needed to be prioritized as we were working with extreme time constraints.
I made it clear that this was a meeting to facilitate ideas, no one was being called out on their role.
After a half-hour we agreed on the way to move forward and we assigned roles and deadlines for tasks to be completed.
We agreed to meet again in two days to track progress.

7. A (Approach) Why these are good bullets
She gives us a step-by-step breakdown of her leadership strategy. She empowered her people to help solve the problem, she opened herself up to constructive feedback, and she made everyone feel valued and heard.
Tip: Remember that managing a team doesn’t necessarily make you a great leader. It’s important to choose a story that demonstrates true leadership — stepping up to guide or motivate or take initiative, ideally in challenging circumstances.

8. R (Results) Wrap up your example by describing the positive outcome(s) of your action. Quantifiable results are somewhat impressive (raised over $2000; received a 90% on the project), but anecdotal results are better(teachers and students said how great the walking course was and my teacher trusted that I was on task whenever I was out of the building)

9. R (Results) Cont’d Example
First of all, the group responded really well to my stepping up, as they felt that they were being included in the decisions we were making, but appreciated that someone was taking charge.
Right away we identified the issues and came up with solutions (specifically) as everyone volunteered to take a task (specifically).
One idea was to put the PowerPoint on Google Docs so we could each access it and to exchange numbers so we could text each other about progress outside of class time.
When people felt more responsible for their tasks I could trust that they were invested in them and would complete them by the deadline.
We worked together well as a team because I communicated my expectations clearly and held group members accountable.
We did a great job and I was recognized by my teacher as growing in my skills as a leader, not to mention the class we presented to ed my teacher to say how great the information was!
For our next task, I was asked by my teacher to take charge again so things would go smoothly!

10. R (Results) Why these are good bullets
This is a great happy ending. The student covers a number of positive outcomes:
Increasing morale by empowering the team members
Improving efficiency and delegating tasks
Impressing students and staff at the school with their leadership skills so much so that they are recognized for their accomplishments
Tip: It’s nice to have specific numbers, but anecdotal results demonstrate how you’ve grown as a leader and specifically what skills you were able to use in order to achieve success
You may also have achieved negative results…in this case, you need to be reflective about what you learned from that experience.

11. Tips: Choose a strong example
Select an example that really shows off your leadership skills. Don’t settle for a weak example (“I was the leader for my group project and everything went okay for the most part.”)
Select examples you really feel passionate about and that you can generate some enthusiasm from!
Customize the example if you can. Review the job description or question carefully and identify the type of leadership skills required for the role.
Don’t try to BS with an answer like, “I consider myself a born leader and have always sought out leadership opportunities over the years.” It’s boring and it doesn’t answer the question.
This should go without saying, but avoid examples that could raise red flags. For example, don’t talk about leading a project that was an utter failure due to your mistakes.

12. Tip: Get specific about what you did
The best stories include enough detail to be believable and memorable. Show how you were a leader in this situation and how it represents your overall leadership experience and/or potential.
At the same time, you must make an effort to keep the story concise. It can be tempting to go off on tangents, particularly if you haven’t prepared in advance. Using the STAR format will help you keep it focused.
Remember: Don’t try to script you’re answer word-for-word. The example above is far more scripted than you want or need. We took this approach to make it easy for readers to understand. However, for your own stories, you can just jot down the key bullet points for each section. The idea is to create a framework that ensures you cover the most important and impressive aspects of the experience.

13. Tip: Practice
Once you have framed your story using the STAR approach, it’s time to practice.
Please do not skip this step. We know that practicing interview answers is not exactly the most exciting activity. However, it really does make a difference. Academic studies consistently show that candidates who practice get more job offers. Practice makes you a MUCH better interviewer and significantly increases your odds of getting hired (in this case, getting a higher grade).