The Interview Question Candidates Should Stop Asking

There are bad interview questions .  Then there are useless ones. 

And sitting right at the top of the useless list?

“What is your leadership style?”

If you are a candidate asking this in an interview—I get it.  You want to know what kind of boss you are signing up for.  But here is the problem.

Every time I hear that question, I have to stop myself from replying:

“Well, I personally love to micromanage every detail of your work because I do not trust you at all.”

Come on.  No one is going to say that.  And no one who is a micromanager is going to admit it in an interview.

That is not how this works.

Why This Question Misses the Point

Most candidates ask it because they want reassurance.  They want to know their future manager will not hover and nitpick. 

Which—fair. Totally valid concern.

But here is the thing:

The best leaders do not have one style.  They adjust based on what their people need.  Some employees thrive with full autonomy.  Others do their best work with structure and clear accountability.  It is not about the leader’s preferred style.  It is about what actually helps the team succeed.

Let’s Talk Situational Leadership

This is where situational leadership comes in.

Some people need coaching.  Some need direction.  Some need space to take ownership and run with it.

A leader who walks into every situation with the same approach is not leading.  They are just repeating a script.

And here is where it gets real:

It is the same with parenting.

Justin and I do not parent each of our kids the same way.  If we did, we would not be parenting—we would just be applying the same rulebook to three completely different humans and hoping for the best.

Each kid? Different personality.  Different motivations.  Different consequences that actually work.

Take video games, for example:

If we took away video games from our oldest? She would not even blink.  She has not touched a video game in five years.

But our middle child?

Losing video game privileges for one weekend is instant behavior correction.

Different approaches. Same goal. That is leadership.

So… What Should You Ask Instead?

If you want to understand your future manager, skip “What is your leadership style?”

Try this instead:

“Can you give me an example of how you have adjusted your leadership approach based on the needs of a team member?”

Now you are getting somewhere.

That question shows whether the person in front of you actually practices situational leadership—or if they are just repeating a philosophy that sounds good on LinkedIn.

Because at the end of the day…

The best leaders do not lead with style.  They lead with awareness.

What do you think?

Have you ever been asked (or asked) a leadership interview question that told you absolutely nothing useful?

Drop it in the comments—I would love to hear it.

Gratefully,