Killing the icebreaker: How to answer that “Tell us about yourself” interview question like a leader.

“When an interviewer asks that, they really mean tell me about yourself as it’s relevant to the position you are applying for and this company.” – Tina Wascovich

One of the best ways to answer that interview question is to tailor your answer to the role you are applying for as well as the company’s vision or mission statement. In addition, you can incorporate your values with the values of the company you are applying for as way to describe yourself.

For instance, I would answer that question by saying, Thank you! My name is Sibongiseni Mgolozeli and I come from Queenstown, in the Eastern Cape. My life revolves around one acronym, which is HEALTH!

Health is my core value and all my beliefs, principles and life philosophy stems from it.

So what does the acronym HEALTH stands for?

H stands for Happiness – “Just like success, happiness cannot be pursued, it must ensue.” Victor Frankl.  I personally believe that both happiness and both success and happiness can be defined as the ability to solve problems and achieve goals you have set for yourself. However, happiness is the key to success, not the other way round.

E stands for Excellence – “We are what we repeatedly do, excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” - Aristotle. If you cultivate and nurture the habit of excellence, you will always be remembered as an excellent person who lived an excellent life.

A stands for Attitude – Attitude, not aptitude, determines your altitude” – Zig Ziglar. Attitude is like a tyre for your vehicle, if it’s messed up, you won’t go anywhere.

L stands for Love – “Love is not what you say, but what you do”–It’s simple like that, there is no need for further explanation.

T stands for Transformation – Vernon Howard capped it best when he said “The great solution to all human problems is individual inner transformation.” –You cannot change the world to be a better place if you, yourself haven’t changed to be a better person. Period!

Last but definitely not least, H stands for Humility = “Humility is the mother of all virtues.”-  says Mother Teresa.

And I would finish off my answer to that interview question by saying, as someone who value HEALTH, I know for a fact that Health is not just about nutrition and exercises, it is also about what you put in your mind and heart.

As a leader, it is absolutely important to know your values (what you stand for), which stems from the person that you are (your identity).  Self-awareness is a byproduct of self-mastery and self-leadership that are learned through and self-discipline and thorough introspection.

Effective leaders know that their first and most important assignment should be to take full inventory of themselves - in order to discover their own authentic-selves.  Being constantly mindful of your thoughts and feelings will lead you not only to the best version of yourself but also to your destiny.

Your thoughts become words, your words become feelings and actions, your actions become your habits, and your habits become your personality and destiny.

For any given assignment, it becomes almost automatic to exude confidence and professionalism when you have discovered your own values, beliefs and life principles. And if you live according to them, your passion, drive and competence in your work or profession will be unmatched.