Rejected in Banking Interview: What Qualities Selection Panel is looking for

In any sector or for that matter, any office, there are people who guide others to perform the tasks assigned to them. It is not always the boss who is the leader, but somebody else can also be the leader. Leadership is a quality to be nurtured by individuals and it reflects in the way they behave in the office. Banking is a sector where it is very much necessary to have a leader in a branch since it demands for the same at every moment and the time of Interview, Selection Panel is looking for these qualities in you.

 Leadership Qualities in a Banker: What are they?

There are a lot of qualities that should be there to lead others in a branch because there are situations when even the branch manager can be clueless regarding what to do. It becomes very necessary to have somebody who can lead the flock. Now, let’s find out what are the qualities that make a banker a leader as well:

• Presence of Mind: It is the most important thing in a bank because people often lose their minds when any problem related to money comes up. It is about money, after all. You have to have the presence of mind to act in those situations because there is no one solution then, but a plenty and you, if a leader, will choose the best one
• Calmness of mind: This is yet another aspect of leadership in banking. You have to interact with a lot of people and not everybody is of the same kind. There will be people who will come and argue, but you have to keep your calm. Remember, the person will go away after his or her job is done, but if you get yourself in that state of mind, you are bound to commit mistakes that may cost you the job. Hence, remain calm in any situation and try to avoid arguments in any manner possible. If you are a leader, you will not let the same thing happen in your branch as well because at the end of the day, a customer is the customer of the bank and serving him or her is the duty of the bank
• Flexibility: Being a leader does not mean that you will dictate your terms on others. It is not possible for anybody to know the solution to everything. You may not be able to fix the problem, but somebody else does. You have to seek his or help so that the job gets done. A true leader does that exactly
• Having a good relationship: This is very important in banking since it is mostly about trust. You must maintain a good relationship with each and everybody in the branch as well as your customers. This creates a positive atmosphere in the branch
• Being the support of others: Everybody will commit mistakes, since to err is human and as banking is all about money, mistakes will be related to that. As a banker, you must back your colleagues in times of need. That makes you the leader in their eyes
• Perseverance: It is an important aspect of banking since most of the time, you will not know the answer and there will hardly be anybody to help you. You have to apply your mind and understand the problem so that you can solve it. This makes you the leader in the eyes of others. You must have the necessary patience to make it happen in case of any difficulty
• Hard Work: Being a leader is about setting examples and what better example you can set then by working hard and producing results. There is no alternative to that and that is why, work hard, try to achieve your targets, make the impossible happen. Others will understand your value and you will become somebody they would love to follow
• Being the street-smart guy: You have to become very smart in your approach so that others can learn from you. You have to carry yourself accordingly in your conversations, actions and emotions. In a competitive market like banking, the only way to survive is by outsmarting others

A leader is not somebody who does different things to achieve something, but he does things differently. If you are sincere in your work and actions, you are certainly going to be followed and that is why, leaders are there, right? To be followed by others towards the right way. A leader within a banker does exactly the same. He is not different from others, but he knows to do the right things at the right time