Why do you want to be a leader and a mentor?
This question analyses the capabilities of an individual to be a leader (Dungy, 2009). This is a qualitative study of the types of qualities that are considered to push one to have the propensity to lead and/ or mentor. Qualities here imply individual capabilities or aspects that make one a natural leader. The variable scale of measurement is nominal. One can either qualify to be a leader or not.
Do you believe you have what it takes to be a successful leader and a mentor? Please explain
Many scholars insist that leaders are born (Dungy, 2009). This question analyses this aspect and how well an individual thinks they can apply these skills in real life. A leader should be in a position to identify these skills to utilize them. The variables being identified here are skills such as authenticity and ambiguity. Skills here refer to the adaptability of a leader to deal with different individuals and situations effectively. This is a qualitative property and it can be measured using the ordinal scale.
What kind of mentor do you want to become? What do you see yourself achieving?
Each leader has a vision and this is the variable being tested (Pue, 2008). The vision here implies the aims, goals, or objectives of the leader. This is a qualitative variable and it can be measured using the interval scale. For example; a person can decide to be either a harsh leader or a soft-spoken one. However, this can also be placed on certain intervals ranging from extremely harsh to minimally harsh.
Who is the most effective leader according to you? How do you think they are effective in what they do?
A good leader is one who has a good role model and this is the qualitative variable being tested here (Pue, 2008). It can be placed on the nominal scale depending on how well an individual answers the second part of the question.
What characteristics do you share with the effective leader mentioned above that you would utilize?
The variables being measured are the broad characteristics of a leader. They can be measure using the nominal scale.
What have you accomplished as a leader and mentor so far?
Success is the quantitative variable being measured. Success here implies the achievement of an individual as a leader and/ or a mentor. It can be placed on an ordinal scale.
Have you ever failed to meet any goal? If yes, what did you learn from the experience?
Failure is the variable to be measured. It refers to the crash or lack of achieving something. This is only meant to depict integrity on the part of the leader. The answer is whether or not they would agree to their mistakes.
From your answer above, do you think you failed to meet a goal because you are a bad leader?
This is where all the attributes of a leader are tested and how well they respond to their shortcomings. This qualitative variable can be measured using an ordinal scale.
Do you believe that you have any weaknesses as a leader? Name them and identify a situation where they worked to your disadvantage, and how you overcame that.
Weaknesses here refer to the shortcomings of a leader but in a broader sense. The interviewee identifies this variable and also depicts their capability to handle situations. This can be placed on a nominal scale since the leader can rank their weaknesses.
How do you intend to integrate leadership and mentorship?
The variable being identified here is whether the leader has the know-how on the variety of leadership styles. This qualitative measure also analyses the role model of the leader. This can be measured using the interval scale. It depends on the type of leadership that an individual decides to adopt.
References
Dungy, T. (2009). The Mentor Leader: Secrets to Building People and Teams That Win Consistently. London: Tyndale Momentum.
Pue, C. (2008). Mentoring Leaders: Wisdom for Developing Character, Calling, and Competency. Chicago: Baker Books.