This week in the world’s #1 newsletter on leadership communication:
- The Top 10 Interview Questions Every Leader Should Ask
- How to Run Virtual Meetings That Energize, Not Drain
- Manage Your Emotions So They Don’t Manage You
The Top 10 Interview Questions Every Leader Should Ask
Have you ever been in this situation?
Five minutes before you start the interview with a promising candidate, you finally manage to take a quick look at their resumé.
Then you start the interview with “tell me about yourself”.
I know I have, more than once.
The problem is, it’s a red flag for top talent who want to feel valued.
My close friend and founder of the School of Hiring Konstanty Sliwowski has refined a superior approach over 20 years.
Konstanty is my go-to guru on all things hiring. We discuss How to Communicate When Your Career Changes here.
Here are 10 of his all-time favorite questions to uncover real potential – not rehearsed answers.
Top 10 Interview Questions
1. “What’s the most difficult work problem you’ve faced, and how did you solve it?”
Why it works: This reveals how candidates tackle real challenges. Look for critical thinking, resilience, and clarity in how they approached and solved the issue.
2. “Thinking about the key responsibilities in this role, what would you prioritise to make the greatest impact in your first year?”
Why it works: A great way to see if they’ve done their homework and can focus on what truly matters. Bonus points if they ask smart follow-ups.
3. “Tell me about a time you made a decision without having all the information.”
Why it works: Real-life work rarely comes with perfect clarity. This shows how they handle ambiguity, risk, and pressure.
4. “Describe a time when you disagreed with a team decision. How did you handle it?”
Why it works: A great test for emotional intelligence. Look for respectful disagreement, compromise, and maturity.
5. “What’s one piece of feedback you’ve received that changed how you work?”
Why it works: Shows self-awareness and a growth mindset. Strong candidates will explain how they acted on that feedback.
6. “When have you gone out of your way to understand a colleague or client’s perspective?”
Why it works: Empathy drives trust and collaboration. Look for signs of active listening, adaptation, and communication skills.
7. “What’s a new skill you learned recently, and what drove you to learn it?”
Why it works: Curious, self-driven candidates tend to grow fast. Especially relevant in fast-changing environments.
8. “Tell me about a time you exceeded expectations. What did you do to make that happen?”
Why it works: Reveals ownership, initiative, and results. Look for clear actions and impact.
9. “What is one lesson from your last role that you think would benefit you here?”
Why it works: A smart way to test self-reflection and relevance. Strong answers show thoughtful application of past learning.
10. “What’s something you’ve built/done that you’re proud of?”
Why it works: Especially great for creative or technical roles. It surfaces pride, passion, and project ownership.
11. BONUS (by me): "Teach me something."
Why it works: Teaching is the highest form of understanding. You can immediately gather how deep someone’s understanding of their area of expertise really goes.
So, Why Do These Questions Matter?
They go beyond the resume - uncovering critical thinking, adaptability, and real-world problem-solving. The things that actually move your team forward.
👉 If you are interviewing people, give Konstanty a follow and get a free copy of “The First 15 Minutes: How to Run a High-Impact Interview.”
PODCAST
How to Run Virtual Meetings That Energize, Not Drain
I do a podcast to help you become a top 1% communicator. You should subscribe.
Drowning in Zoom calls and Slack threads? No energy left at the end of the day?
Zoom fatigue is real. So is information overload.
When I am on too many Zoom calls, my energy is in the gutter at the end of the day.
To understand science-backed strategies that get better results while preserving our energy, I invited Andrew Brodsky to Speak Like a CEO.
Andrew is a management professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and the author of "Ping: The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication".
5 key insights on how to master virtual meetings
- In-person isn’t always better
Virtual meetings can be more efficient – if used intentionally. Choose the right medium for the job.
- Challenge your communication habits.
Most teams operate on outdated routines. Question the point of every meeting in the calendar.
- Early-stage brainstorming? Go async.
Research shows that individual, text-based idea generation leads to more creative thinking than live group sessions.
- Set clear communication standards
Set clear expectations for response times and tool usage (email vs. Slack vs. calls). It reduces stress and miscommunication.
- AI helps – but don’t outsource your voice
Use it for editing or routine tasks. For high-trust moments, people want your words, not ChatGPT’s.
If you want science-backed strategies to get more out of your virtual communications in less time, this one is for you.
Find the the full episode here:
BOOK RECOMMENDATION
Manage Your Emotions So They Don’t Manage You
Thanks to scientific progress in recent years, we now possess a vastly improved understanding of the science of emotions.
The idea is not to suppress them, but to understand how to use emotions skillfully without letting them completely take over, writes Ethan Cross in Shift.
He is one of the world's leading experts on emotion regulation and the director of the Emotion and Self-Control Laboratory at the University of Michigan.
He shows us how we can manage our emotions both from the inside out and from the outside in.
Can we really control our emotions?
We can and we do it all the time. By putting on our favorite playlist, when we take a deep breath before we respond to a snarky comment, or when the home screen of our phones shows a picture of our loved ones.
My favorite framework: WOOP.
Wish → I want my children to do their homework.
Outcome → They do well at school while we avoid arguing over homework.
Obstacle → We all get annoyed when we discuss homework.
Plan → When this happens, I stop for 10 seconds and focus on the future. I imagine them as grown-ups and remind myself that our connection is the most important thing.
Like most things in life, emotional regulation is a skill and it takes some practice – and Shift shows us how.
Have an inspired weekend!
Best,
Oliver
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