Questions to Ask New Leader
Essential questions to help you understand your new leader's vision, working style, and expectations to build an effective working relationship.
1What's your vision for our team and what are your key priorities?
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What's your vision for our team and what are your key priorities?
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Why this works
Reveals leadership direction and helps you understand what your new leader wants to achieve and what they consider most important.
2What's your leadership style and how do you prefer to work with your team?
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What's your leadership style and how do you prefer to work with your team?
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Why this works
Shows working approach and helps you understand how your leader prefers to work and what their leadership style is like.
3What are your expectations for our team and what does success look like?
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What are your expectations for our team and what does success look like?
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Why this works
Reveals performance expectations and helps you understand what your leader expects from the team and how they measure success.
4What are your communication preferences and how often do you like to check in?
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What are your communication preferences and how often do you like to check in?
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Why this works
Shows communication style and helps you understand how your leader prefers to communicate and how often they want updates.
5What are your decision-making processes and when do you want team input?
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What are your decision-making processes and when do you want team input?
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Why this works
Reveals decision style and helps you understand how your leader makes decisions and when they want team involvement.
6What are your feedback preferences and how do you like to provide guidance?
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What are your feedback preferences and how do you like to provide guidance?
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Why this works
Shows feedback style and helps you understand how your leader prefers to give feedback and guidance.
7What are your meeting preferences and how do you like to run meetings?
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What are your meeting preferences and how do you like to run meetings?
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Why this works
Reveals meeting style and helps you understand how your leader prefers to conduct meetings and what their meeting style is like.
8What are your conflict resolution and problem-solving approaches?
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What are your conflict resolution and problem-solving approaches?
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Why this works
Shows conflict handling and helps you understand how your leader approaches conflict resolution and problem-solving.
9What are your development and growth priorities for the team?
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What are your development and growth priorities for the team?
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Why this works
Reveals development focus and helps you understand what your leader wants to focus on for team development and growth.
10What are your change management and transformation approaches?
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What are your change management and transformation approaches?
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Why this works
Shows change handling and helps you understand how your leader approaches change management and organizational transformation.
11What are your work-life balance expectations and boundaries?
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What are your work-life balance expectations and boundaries?
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Why this works
Shows balance expectations and helps you understand what work-life balance expectations and boundaries your leader has.
12What are your technology and innovation preferences?
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What are your technology and innovation preferences?
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Why this works
Reveals tech focus and helps you understand what technology and innovation preferences your leader has.
13What are your customer and stakeholder focus areas?
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What are your customer and stakeholder focus areas?
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Why this works
Shows external focus and helps you understand what customer and stakeholder areas your leader prioritizes.
14What are your risk management and safety priorities?
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What are your risk management and safety priorities?
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Why this works
Reveals risk focus and helps you understand what risk management and safety priorities your leader has.
15What are your diversity and inclusion initiatives and priorities?
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What are your diversity and inclusion initiatives and priorities?
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Why this works
Shows DEI focus and helps you understand what diversity and inclusion initiatives and priorities your leader has.
16What are your performance management and evaluation approaches?
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What are your performance management and evaluation approaches?
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Why this works
Shows performance focus and helps you understand how your leader approaches performance management and evaluation.
17What are your crisis management and emergency response approaches?
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What are your crisis management and emergency response approaches?
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Why this works
Shows crisis handling and helps you understand how your leader approaches crisis management and emergency response.
18What are your networking and relationship building priorities?
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What are your networking and relationship building priorities?
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Why this works
Reveals relationship focus and helps you understand what networking and relationship building priorities your leader has.
19What are your learning and development preferences for yourself?
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What are your learning and development preferences for yourself?
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Why this works
Shows personal growth and helps you understand what learning and development preferences your leader has for themselves.
20What are your long-term goals and how can our team best support you?
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What are your long-term goals and how can our team best support you?
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Why this works
Shows future focus and helps you understand what your leader's long-term goals are and how the team can best support them.
Best Practices for New Leader Engagement
Expert tips and techniques for getting the most out of these questions.
Best Practices
Focus on Understanding Their Vision
Ask questions that help you understand your new leader's vision, priorities, and what they want to achieve with the team.
Learn Their Working Style
Ask about their leadership style, communication preferences, and how they prefer to work with their team.
Understand Their Expectations
Ask about their expectations for the team, performance standards, and what success looks like to them.
Question Sequences
The Vision and Priorities Sequence
The Working Style Sequence
Common Pitfalls
Don't Make Assumptions
Don't assume you know their preferences or working style. Ask specific questions to understand their approach and expectations.
Don't Ignore the Communication Questions
Ask about communication preferences and frequency. Effective communication is crucial for a successful working relationship.
Don't Skip the Goals Questions
Ask about their long-term goals and how the team can support them. Understanding their goals helps you provide better support.