Tell me about a time when you had to take the lead on a project unexpectedly.

Illustrative answer

This is a fictional example of taking temporary responsibility.

Our project lead became unexpectedly unavailable during preparation for an internal pilot. I was responsible for one workstream, so I knew some of the work but did not have authority to reassign the entire team. I asked the sponsor to confirm who would coordinate the project and which decisions needed approval. They asked me to serve as temporary coordinator.

I met the workstream owners, checked the current evidence against the pilot criteria and made a short list of blockers, decisions and owners. One integration check was incomplete. I recommended keeping that check on the critical path and postponing an optional demonstration feature. The sponsor approved the scope change, and I communicated the revised commitment rather than quietly changing other people's priorities.

I kept a decision log and a brief daily blocker review. When the lead returned, I handed over the current status, unresolved risks and decisions that would need their attention. The team completed the narrower pilot after the integration check passed; the optional feature moved to a later milestone.

I learned that stepping up means making responsibility and uncertainty visible. I could provide coordination immediately while still asking for the authority and specialist input the work required.

Follow-up to practice

Which decision could you make yourself, and which needed someone else's approval?