20 Questions

Questions to Ask Your Leadership Team

Strategic questions to understand company direction, build relationships with leadership, and demonstrate engaged thinking about organizational success.

1

What is your vision for the company over the next three to five years?

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Why this works

Reveals strategic direction, growth plans, and whether leadership has clear forward-thinking vision.

2

What are the biggest challenges facing our organization right now?

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Why this works

Shows transparency about obstacles and helps you understand business realities and priorities.

3

How do you define success for our team and the broader organization?

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Why this works

Indicates metrics that matter, values emphasis, and how performance is truly measured.

4

What keeps you up at night about the business?

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Why this works

Reveals genuine concerns, risk awareness, and what leadership worries about most.

5

How do you approach decision-making when facing difficult tradeoffs?

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Why this works

Shows leadership philosophy, values prioritization, and how they navigate complexity.

6

What feedback do you hear most often from employees, and how are you addressing it?

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Why this works

Indicates whether they listen to staff concerns and take action on feedback.

7

How do you see our industry evolving, and how are we preparing for those changes?

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Why this works

Reveals market awareness, competitive positioning, and proactive versus reactive stance.

8

What makes you most proud about working here?

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Why this works

Shows what leadership values, highlights organizational strengths, and reveals genuine enthusiasm.

9

How can individual contributors like me best support the company's goals?

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Why this works

Demonstrates alignment desire and opens discussion about how your work contributes to bigger picture.

10

What are the key priorities you're focused on this quarter or year?

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Why this works

Provides tactical understanding of current focus areas and resource allocation.

11

How do you balance short-term performance with long-term strategic investments?

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Why this works

Shows whether leadership thinks beyond immediate results and invests in future growth.

12

What is your philosophy on work-life balance and employee wellbeing?

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Why this works

Reveals whether stated values about balance match leadership's actual beliefs and practices.

13

How do you approach fostering innovation and new ideas within the organization?

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Why this works

Indicates openness to change, whether ideas are welcomed from all levels, and innovation culture.

14

What's one thing you would change about our organization if you could wave a magic wand?

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Why this works

Shows self-awareness about limitations, aspirations for improvement, and honest assessment.

15

How do you ensure our values are reflected in day-to-day operations?

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Why this works

Tests whether stated values are real priorities or just wall decorations.

16

What advice would you give to someone looking to grow their career here?

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Why this works

Provides career development insights and what leadership notices and values in employees.

17

How do you gather and incorporate feedback from customers or clients?

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Why this works

Shows customer-centricity and whether external perspective influences internal decisions.

18

What role does diversity and inclusion play in our strategy?

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Why this works

Reveals whether DEI is genuine priority with action or performative talking point.

19

How are we investing in employee development and growth?

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Why this works

Indicates commitment to staff advancement through concrete programs and resources.

20

What questions do you wish employees would ask you more often?

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Why this works

Opens door for topics they want to discuss and shows what matters to them.

How to Use These Questions

Expert tips and techniques for getting the most out of these questions.

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