A strong track record deserves attention, but a leadership appointment is a decision about the future. The conditions a person will face may be different from those in which they built their reputation. A useful assessment explores both what they have done and how they respond when the situation changes.
Explore the context behind the achievement
Ask the candidate to describe the starting point, the constraints and the choices available. What was already working? What needed to change? Who else contributed? This helps you understand the nature of their experience rather than relying on the headline outcome.
Ask about learning, not only success
An account of a difficult lesson can reveal a great deal about a person’s judgement. Look for a clear explanation of what they believed at the time, what evidence challenged that belief and what they changed as a result. A polished story is less useful than specific reflection.
- Tell us about a decision you revised after listening to someone else.
- Describe a time when your existing experience was not enough.
- How did you learn what the organisation needed?
- What did you do to help other people understand the change?
Connect the conversation to the real role
Share a realistic business challenge and explore how the candidate would begin to understand it. Avoid treating the conversation as a test with a hidden perfect answer. The value is in their questions, the assumptions they notice and how they balance action with learning.
Bring the discussion back to your organisation’s context: decision authority, team capability, stakeholder expectations and the support available. A capable leader needs an environment in which they can act effectively. Hiring well includes being honest about that environment.
An editorial perspective for general discussion. This article does not report a client engagement or commissioned research.