How to practice: This set collects only the Speaking Sample question type from the real DET (Duolingo English Test), covering DET Speaking questions. No grading and no timer, so solve it yourself, then tap each question to reveal the answer or model response.
Q1
What qualities do you think make a successful business leader? Give specific examples and explain your reasoning.
30s to prepare · 3:00 to speak · 1 take only
Useful Expressions
In my opinion, a successful leader needs... · For instance... · Equally important is... · This is because... · In summary...
Show Model Response
In my opinion, a successful business leader needs a combination of clear strategic vision, genuine emotional intelligence, and the humility to admit when they're wrong, because honestly, technical skill alone rarely determines whether someone becomes a truly effective leader in the long run.
Strategic vision matters because a leader has to be able to see beyond the immediate, day-to-day pressures of running a business and anticipate where an industry is heading. For instance, leaders who recognized the shift toward remote work and digital services early on were able to position their companies advantageously, while competitors who clung to outdated models often found themselves scrambling to catch up several years later.
Equally important, though, is emotional intelligence, meaning the ability to understand and genuinely connect with the people you're leading. A brilliant strategist who treats employees poorly will eventually struggle with retention, morale, and trust, no matter how impressive their business plans look on paper. This is because employees who feel respected and genuinely heard tend to be far more engaged, more loyal, and ultimately more productive than employees who feel like replaceable resources.
Another quality I'd highlight is resilience, the capacity to handle setbacks and failures without becoming paralyzed by them. Nearly every successful business leader has a story about a product that failed or a decision that backfired badly, and what separates the ones who eventually succeed from those who don't is really their ability to learn from that failure quickly rather than being permanently discouraged by it.
Finally, I'd argue that humility is underrated as a leadership quality. Leaders who surround themselves only with people who agree with them, and who refuse to acknowledge mistakes, tend to make increasingly poor decisions over time, since no one around them feels comfortable pushing back or offering honest feedback.
In summary, while intelligence and industry knowledge certainly matter, I think it's really the combination of vision, emotional intelligence, resilience, and humility that separates genuinely great business leaders from those who simply hold a leadership title.
Strategic vision matters because a leader has to be able to see beyond the immediate, day-to-day pressures of running a business and anticipate where an industry is heading. For instance, leaders who recognized the shift toward remote work and digital services early on were able to position their companies advantageously, while competitors who clung to outdated models often found themselves scrambling to catch up several years later.
Equally important, though, is emotional intelligence, meaning the ability to understand and genuinely connect with the people you're leading. A brilliant strategist who treats employees poorly will eventually struggle with retention, morale, and trust, no matter how impressive their business plans look on paper. This is because employees who feel respected and genuinely heard tend to be far more engaged, more loyal, and ultimately more productive than employees who feel like replaceable resources.
Another quality I'd highlight is resilience, the capacity to handle setbacks and failures without becoming paralyzed by them. Nearly every successful business leader has a story about a product that failed or a decision that backfired badly, and what separates the ones who eventually succeed from those who don't is really their ability to learn from that failure quickly rather than being permanently discouraged by it.
Finally, I'd argue that humility is underrated as a leadership quality. Leaders who surround themselves only with people who agree with them, and who refuse to acknowledge mistakes, tend to make increasingly poor decisions over time, since no one around them feels comfortable pushing back or offering honest feedback.
In summary, while intelligence and industry knowledge certainly matter, I think it's really the combination of vision, emotional intelligence, resilience, and humility that separates genuinely great business leaders from those who simply hold a leadership title.