Principles

Question 1

People often say the simplest solution is the best. Tell me about a particular complex problem you solved with a simple solution.

Answer 1

Invent and Simplify

Question 2

Tell me about an out-of-the-box idea you had or decision you made that had a big impact on your business.

Answer 2

Invent and Simplify

Question 3

How do you draw new thinking and innovation out of your team? Give an example of how your approach led to a specific innovation.

Answer 3

Invent and Simplify

Question 4

Tell me about a time the business gained something because you persisted for a length of time. Why were you so determined? How did it turn out?

Answer 4

Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit

Question 5

Give an example of when you had to support a business initiative with which you didn’t necessarily agree. How did you handle it?

Answer 5

Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit

Question 6

Can you provide an example of a time when you have had to make a difficult decision and then defend and justify the decision?

Answer 6

Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit

Question 7

Tell me about a problem you had to solve that required in-depth thought and analysis? How did you know you were focusing on the right things?

Answer 7

Dive Deep

Question 8

Tell me about a time when you linked two or more problems together and identified an underlying issue? Were you able to find a solution?

Answer 8

Dive Deep

Question 9

When your direct reports are presenting a plan or issue to you, how do you know if the underlying assumptions are the correct ones? What actions do you take to validate assumptions or data?

Answer 9

Dive Deep

Question 10

Tell me about a time you and your team were driving toward a goal and were more than half way to the objective when you realized it may not be the best or right goal or may have unintended consequences. What was the situation and what did you do?

Answer 10

Deliver Results

Question 11

How do you ensure you are focusing on the right deliverables when you have several competing priorities? Tell me about a time when you did not effectively manage your projects and something fell through the cracks.

Answer 11

Deliver Results

Question 12

Give an example of a mission or goal you didn’t think was achievable. What was it and how did you help your team try to achieve it. Were you successful in the end?

Answer 12

Deliver Results

Question 13

Tell me about time you were working on an initiative or goal and saw an opportunity to do something much bigger than the initial focus.

Answer 13

Think Big

Question 14

Tell me about a time you looked at a key process that was working well and questioned whether it was still the right one? What assumptions were you questioning and why? Did you end up making a change to the process?

Answer 14

Think Big

Question 15

Tell me about a time you came up with the vision for a (team, product, strategic initiative) when there wasn’t a guiding vision. What was it? How did you gain buy-in and drive execution?

Answer 15

Think Big

Question 16

Tell me how you help your team members develop their careers. Can you give me two to three examples of specific people in who you invested in and how you helped them develop their careers including one who wasn’t being successful but you saw potential and chose to invest?

Answer 16

Hire and Develop the Best

Question 17

Give me an example of a time you have provided feedback to develop and leverage the strengths of someone on your team. Were you able to positively impact that person’s performance? What were your most effective methods?

Answer 17

Hire and Develop the Best

Question 18

Tell me about a time when you had a low performing individual on your team. How did you deliver feedback to this person? Did their performance improve or did they leave the organization?

Answer 18

Hire and Develop the Best

Question 19

Give me an example of a calculated risk that you have taken where speed was critical. What was the situation and how did you handle it? What steps did you take to mitigate the risk? What was the outcome?

Answer 19

Bias for Action

Question 20

Tell me about a time where you felt your team was not moving to action quickly enough. What did you do?

Answer 20

Bias for Action

Question 21

Tell me about a time when you were able to remove a serious roadblock/barrier preventing your team from making progress? How were you able to remove the barrier? What was the outcome?

Answer 21

Bias for Action

Question 22

Tell me about a time when you have been faced with a challenge where the best way forward or strategy to adopt was not “clear cut” (i.e. there were a number of possible solutions). How did you decide the best way forward?

Answer 22

Are Right A Lot

Question 23

Tell me about an error in judgment you made in the last year or two, what it was and the impact of it.

Answer 23

Are Right A Lot

Question 24

What are the top strategic issues you’ve had to face in your current role? What decisions did you end up making?

Answer 24

Are Right A Lot

Question 25

Describe the most significant, continuous improvement project that you have led. What was the catalyst to this change and how did you go about it?

Answer 25

Insist on the Highest Standards

Question 26

How do you seek out feedback on your team’s performance? Give a specific example of how you used feedback you received on your team to drive improvement.

Answer 26

Insist on the Highest Standards

Question 27

Can you tell me about a time when a team member was not being as productive as you needed? What was the situation? What did you do? What was the result?

Answer 27

Insist on the Highest Standards

Question 28

Tell me about a time you made a hard decision to sacrifice short term gain for a longer term goal.

Answer 28

Ownership

Question 29

What steps do you take to ensure projects you complete get transitioned effectively to new owners? Give an example where you elected to re-engage on a project that you had already transitioned to someone else. What was the situation and why did you feel it was important to re-engage?

Answer 29

Ownership

Question 30

Tell me about an initiative you undertook because you saw that it could benefit the whole company or your customers, but wasn’t within any group’s individual responsibility so nothing was being done.

Answer 30

Ownership

Question 31

Building trust can be difficult at achieve at times. Tell me about how you have effectively built a trusting working relationship with your team.

Answer 31

Earn Trust

Question 32

Tell me about a time you had to communicate a big change in direction for which you anticipated people would have a lot of concerns. How did you handle questions and/or resistance? Were you able to get people comfortable with the change?

Answer 32

Earn Trust

Question 33

Tell me about a time your team’s goals were out of alignment with another team on which you relied to attain a key resource. How did you work with the other team? Were you able to achieve your goals?

Answer 33

Earn Trust

Question 34

When we enter into a new role or problem space, it is common to come in and see things with a fresh perspective. Tell me about a time when you realized that you might have lost that fresh perspective? What ended up happening?

Answer 34

Learn and Be Curious

Question 35

Give a specific example of where you realized your team had not been as effective as it could have. What feedback mechanisms do you use?

Answer 35

Learn and Be Curious

Question 36

Tell me about a time when a member of your team contributed significantly to a project outside the scope of their role. What motivated you to encourage their participation?

Answer 36

Learn and Be Curious