How Leaders Approach Interviews Differently

By Sarah Beth Herman, CEO of Dentistry Support®

Interviews are one of the most misunderstood moments in professional life. People prepare for them intensely. They rehearse answers, refine resumes, and try to predict exactly what the other person wants to hear. Entire industries exist around interview preparation, promising formulas for saying the “right thing.” Yet many experienced leaders quietly recognize something important: The answers someone rehearses are rarely the most important part of an interview.

What matters far more is the person behind those answers.

How someone thinks.

How they listen.

How they respond to uncertainty.

How they communicate with others.

These deeper qualities often reveal far more about someone’s potential than any polished response or resume bullet point.

In this free training article, we will explore how experienced leaders tend to approach interviews differently than most candidates expect. These ideas will also prepare you for Episode 116 of the No Silver Spoons podcast, where we explore these concepts from the perspective of someone who has conducted more than 1,000 interviews across multiple organizations and industries.

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Why Interviews Matter More Than We Realize

Interviews are not just a hiring tool. They are moments where people evaluate trust.

They occur in many professional contexts:

• Job candidates interviewing for a role

• Leaders evaluating potential hires

• Entrepreneurs pitching services to clients

• Professionals seeking partnerships or collaborations

In each of these situations, both sides are trying to answer a similar question:

Can we trust each other enough to move forward together?

Because trust is the foundation of every productive working relationship. without trust, even the most talented individuals struggle to collaborate effectively.

Research in organizational behavior has shown that trust strongly influences employee performance, collaboration, and job satisfaction (Dirks & Ferrin, 2002). Interviews are often the first opportunity for individuals to establish that trust.

The Resume Myth

Most people assume the resume is the centerpiece of the interview process. It is not.

A resume can open the door to a conversation, but once that conversation begins, experienced leaders tend to evaluate very different qualities.

Resumes provide information about past experiences, education, and achievements. However, they rarely provide meaningful insight into how someone will behave in a real working environment.

Important qualities such as:

• Communication style

• Emotional intelligence

• Accountability

• Self-awareness

• Curiosity

cannot be fully captured in a document. This is one reason many leadership experts emphasize behavioral interviews and conversational evaluations rather than relying heavily on resumes alone (Levashina et al., 2014).When experienced interviewers evaluate candidates, they often look beyond credentials and focus instead on how someone approaches problems and relationships.

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The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Interviews

One of the most significant predictors of leadership effectiveness is emotional intelligence.

Psychologist Daniel Goleman’s research on leadership development highlights emotional intelligence as a critical factor influencing workplace success (Goleman, 1998). Emotional intelligence includes several core abilities:

• Self-awareness

• Self-regulation

• Empathy

• Social awareness

• Relationship management

During interviews, these abilities often reveal themselves through subtle behaviors.

For example, individuals with strong emotional intelligence tend to:

• Listen carefully before responding

• Speak respectfully about previous employers or colleagues

• Acknowledge mistakes and lessons learned

• Show curiosity about the organization and its challenges

These behaviors demonstrate maturity and awareness, which are highly valued in leadership environments.

Authenticity in the Age of AI

Technology has changed how people prepare for interviews. Tools powered by artificial intelligence can now generate suggested responses to common interview questions, assist with resume writing, and help candidates organize their thoughts. While these tools can be helpful, they also introduce a new challenge.

When responses become overly scripted or polished, interviews can begin to feel less authentic.

Communication research suggests that authenticity plays a critical role in building trust and connection between individuals (Kernis & Goldman, 2006). When someone delivers responses that feel disconnected from their natural communication style, it can create subtle barriers in conversation. Authenticity does not mean a lack of preparation.

It means preparation that allows someone to speak clearly in their own voice rather than relying entirely on prewritten answers.

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The Psychology of First Impressions

Interviews are also shaped by first impressions. Studies in social psychology show that individuals form initial impressions of competence and trustworthiness within seconds of meeting someone (Willis & Todorov, 2006).

These early impressions are influenced by several factors:

• Tone of voice

• Body language

• Confidence

• Emotional presence

This does not mean someone must perform or present a rehearsed personality. However, it does highlight the importance of presence and awareness during conversations.

The emotional tone someone brings into an interaction can strongly influence how the conversation unfolds.

Psychologists refer to this phenomenon as emotional contagion, where individuals unconsciously mirror the emotional states of those around them (Hatfield, Cacioppo, & Rapson, 1994).

This means that calm, respectful, and curious energy often encourages the same response from others.

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The Difference Between Performance and Leadership

Many candidates approach interviews as performances.

They try to appear impressive.

They attempt to demonstrate intelligence quickly.

They focus on selling themselves.

However, experienced leaders often look for something very different. They look for signs of leadership potential.

Leadership potential tends to reveal itself through behaviors such as:

• Thoughtful listening

• Honest reflection

• Curiosity about complex challenges

• Willingness to learn and grow

Research on leadership development suggests that humility and self-awareness are strongly associated with effective leadership outcomes (Owens & Hekman, 2012).

These qualities often appear when individuals speak openly about past experiences, including both successes and challenges.

Why Alignment Matters More Than Perfection

One of the most important shifts in perspective for both interviewers and candidates is recognizing that interviews are not about perfection. They are about alignment.

The goal of an interview is not to determine whether someone is flawless. Instead, it is to explore whether two parties share compatible expectations, values, and working styles.

Alignment may include questions such as:

• Do our communication styles work well together?

• Do we share similar professional values?

• Can we collaborate effectively under pressure?

• Do our goals and expectations match?

When alignment exists, individuals are more likely to thrive within an organization or partnership. Without alignment, even highly skilled individuals may struggle.

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Questions Worth Asking Before Any Interview

As you prepare for interviews—whether you are a candidate, a hiring manager, or a business owner—consider reflecting on a few questions.

For example:

• What qualities define successful relationships in this environment?

• What challenges might arise in this role or partnership?

• How does this organization approach communication and collaboration?

• What expectations exist around leadership and accountability?

These questions help move the conversation beyond surface-level evaluation and into meaningful exploration.

Continue the Conversation in Episode 116

This article provides an introduction to the leadership mindset behind effective interviews.

In Episode 116 of the No Silver Spoons podcast, we explore these ideas in greater depth, including:

• Lessons learned from conducting more than 1,000 professional interviews

• Why many resumes fail to predict success

• How authenticity influences trust in interviews

• The growing influence of AI tools in interview preparation

• Why emotional intelligence is often the most valuable professional skill

Whether you are preparing for a leadership role, hiring new team members, or building professional partnerships, these insights can help you approach interviews with greater clarity and confidence.

References

Dirks, K. T., & Ferrin, D. L. (2002). Trust in leadership: Meta-analytic findings and implications for research and practice. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(4), 611–628.

Goleman, D. (1998). Working with Emotional Intelligence. New York: Bantam Books.

Hatfield, E., Cacioppo, J., & Rapson, R. (1994). Emotional Contagion. Cambridge University Press.

Kernis, M. H., & Goldman, B. M. (2006). A multicomponent conceptualization of authenticity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91(2), 283–299.

Levashina, J., Hartwell, C., Morgeson, F., & Campion, M. (2014). The structured employment interview: Narrative and quantitative review of the research literature. Personnel Psychology, 67(1), 241–293.

Owens, B. P., & Hekman, D. R. (2012). Modeling how to grow: An inductive examination of humble leader behaviors. Academy of Management Journal, 55(4), 787–818.

Willis, J., & Todorov, A. (2006). First impressions: Making up your mind after a 100-ms exposure to a face. Psychological Science, 17(7), 592–598.

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Disclaimer:

To learn more about Sarah Beth Herman, the author of all free training content you can read her bio here. These materials are intended to provide helpful information to dentists and dental team members. They are in no way a substitute for actual professional advice based on your unique facts and circumstances. This content is not intended or offered, nor should it be taken, as legal or other professional advice. You should always consult with your own professional advisors (e.g. attorney, accountant, or insurance carrier). To the extent, Dentistry Support ®has included links to any third-party website (s), Dentistry Support ® intends no endorsement of their content and implies no affiliation with the organizations that provide their content. Further, Dentistry Support ® makes no representations or warranties about the information provided on those sites. You can view our privacy policy and terms and conditions by clicking those pages in the footer of our website