When asked in an interview “where do you see yourself in five years?” how should I respond?

Depends on where you see yourself in the future, do you see yourself working here & advancing, or is this just a hold over until you can get a good job somewhere else?

answer the truth on your goals - as it all depends on your stage in life.

As the most valuable employee of this company

Plot out your career path and explain it

Making decisions for the company in a leadership position.

Honestly. Some positions just need a lifetime hire -- there are plenty of excellent Sr. Engineers that just want to write great code. Let them. Similarly, there are positions where the best candidate is going to be the person who promotes themselves out of it -- feeder positions.

Again; honestly. Think about your career goals, ambitions and realistic trajectory. The workplace and opportunities are changing at a never before seen pace with the changes in technology so depending upon your current role and goals; you should keep that in mind. Employers are looking for someone who can grow with them and continue contribute at higher levels during their tenure. If you are a Finance Director; you should be looking to be a VP or higher the next 3- 5 years and have a plan to acheive that goal.

Achieving the goals that I have set years before and striving for constant success

in a company much like this where I can be able to grow and exceed to my potential and am able to give back to the company as they have given to me.

Answer honestly but as closely relevant to the job as possible. This question usually measures ambition or expected tenure. Most people change jobs every 2-3 years in the current market unless they have received a meaningful promotion during that time. Employers don't always expect you to still work for them in 5 years, but they want to know what your life goals are so they can get an idea of whether the position is truly a fit with your lifestyle.

In 5 years I see myself in a comfortable position. Happily enjoying my job, and my home life.

Everyone thinks this is about position, but it really doesn't have to be. It's really more to gauge your ability to think long-term and set long-term goals. If you have a position in mind, talk about it. If you want to start your own competing business, talk about it. It shows drive an openness. If you don't really know what you want to be doing in five years, talk about what you want to learn about in the next five years or personal growth targets you want to achieve.

Career growth and domain expert

The last interview I had, this question was asked to me. By this time I was done with the string of terrible jobs I’d had, so I asnwered honestly and simply: “I am young (I’m 28) and I am letting life take me where it takes me. The only specific goal I have for five years out is to be happy in my job and in my life, whatever that means.” I ended up landing that job which happens to be my dream job, so I guess it was a good answer for me. Hope this helps!

In five years I see myself as a valuable asset in this company.

You should have a realistic background of the company and it's structure. Then you should evaluate what are your short term goals if you were to work within that company. That should be where you see yourself in five years.