Hello there, my name is Richard McMunn from the interview training company PassMyInterview.com,
and in this tutorial, I'm going to teach you how to pass a CEO (Chief Executive Officer)
interview. And in particular, I'm going to give you my Top 7 CEO interview questions
and high-scoring answers. Now, you and I know that in order to pass this level of interview,
you will need to give in-depth, strategic-level responses to the interview questions. And
I'm going to teach you exactly how to do that during the forthcoming tutorial. Now, before
I do that, a very warm welcome to this interview training tutorial. My name is Richard McMunn.
That's me there in the center. I've been helping people to pass their interviews for about
20 years now, and I do that specifically by giving you top scoring answers and tips on
how to prepare effectively. Please do SUBSCRIBE to the channel by clicking the red button
below the video, and then you won't miss out on any of the weekly training videos that
I'm uploading. You can also connect with me on LinkedIn.com in the description below the
video, and I would also appreciate your support if you gave the video a thumbs up, (LIKE).
That always motivates me to create more content for you. So, let's get into those Chief Executive
Officer interview questions and answers. Now, the responses are in-depth. I also believe
they are smart and intelligent, and they will put you across as a top-performing candidate,
which is what we want to do. Now, you can either take notes as I progress and write
down the tips and also the sample responses that I'm going to give you. Or, if you want
to wait, I will tell you where you can download the full slide deck for this presentation
and also my full set of CEO interview questions and answers. Question number one. Tell me
about yourself? So, we want to give a strong response that demonstrates that you are an
intelligent, smart and strategic thinking leader and motivator. “I believe there are
five main traits and qualities that define me, both as a CEO and also a person. I am
extremely well organized, immensely passionate about my work, a very strong communicator,
a natural leader and motivator, and also someone who enjoys the challenge of change and the
responsibility I have to continually improve and develop so I can maintain peak performance
within my role. Outside of work, I am family person who has the support of my partner and
my children. They understand how important it is for me to not only enjoy my work, but
that I am available at all times to respond to the obvious challenges that will come with
the role of a CEO. Apart from the qualities and traits I just mentioned, I have always
been a loyal and honest person who acts with the highest standards of integrity at all
times, both on a professional and personal level. Of course, I would say this, but if
you hire me as your Chief Executive Officer, I will deliver on my promises and drive your
company forward into the future with passion and vigor.” Within the questions that follow
on from this first question, we need to build on this response. So, the next question is:
How would you approach ‘change’ within our organization as the Chief Executive Officer?
So, how would you approach change? As you and I know, as a CEO, you are the person responsible
for delivering on the change needed. Now, not all times, but some organizations want
to have a new Chief Executive Officer because they want change in the organization. You
need to be aware of how to approach change, and also how to implement it. Here is my suggested
answer: “I have considerable experience of creating, implementing and delivering change,
and on that basis, I would use a tried-and-tested approach for ensuring change is delivered.
As your CEO, I believe it is important to create change that is genuinely actionable,
beneficial and believable. Therefore, I would approach change by ensuring all senior members
and managers of the organization are fully onboard with the change we all want to achieve,
the reasons for it, and the challenges they will face as the months progress. I am a great
believer that change cannot be delivered unless it comes from the top down and everyone really
buys in to it. If a member of the senior management team doesn’t believe in it, it cannot be
successful. This is where my communication and interpersonal skills will really come
to the fore, as I will be able to ‘sell’ the change needed to all members of staff
and therefore create a positive culture that realizes the benefits of change and the opportunities
it can bring.” So, another solid response! Third question: How do you plan to succeed
as our CEO when others in the past have failed to live up to expectations? This is a similar
question to: What makes you the standout candidate? Again, we want to give a really good response
to this question. “I already have a plan in place to succeed. My plan involves four
key stages. The initial stage is obtaining a thorough understanding of where we need
to be as an organization, including where we are right now, our strengths, the weaknesses
that hold us back, and also the opportunities that are available to us within this industry
that will help us to thrive moving forward. The second stage is creating a definitive
action plan based on short, medium and long term strategic financial objectives. I have
considerable experience in creating action plans that deliver results, and I will use
my experience from previous positions to ensure the plan’s objectives are both actionable
and achievable. The third stage of my plan is assessing key senior managers and members
of staff who are in a position to influence the change we need, and more importantly,
to deliver it. There will undoubtedly be many members of the organization who are highly
talented and hungry to deliver on the changes we, as an organization, want to make. The
fourth stage of my action plan is to provide the necessary resources, motivational support
and leadership direction needed for us to succeed. Whilst my plan will always be flexible
and adaptable to the challenges and the changes in the industry we will all face, I am one
hundred percent confident it will succeed.” What I like about that response, is that you've
already got a plan in place of what you're going to do. Now, of course, that plan needs
to be adaptable and flexible, because you need to get to know the organization. But
you've got FOUR KEY AREAS that you are going to focus on, and these will work in any organization.
Next question of our CEO interview: You will ultimately be responsible and accountable
for everything, but how do you plan to delegate in your role as a CEO? This is a question
about how you are going to delegate responsibility. But at the end of the day, you as the CEO,
are fully responsible for everything! But they want to know how you are going to delegate,
which is one of the core competencies required to be effective as a Chief Executive Officer.
Here's my suggested response: “Delegation is a fundamental element of being able to
deliver change and strategic objectives within an organization as a CEO. The only way I will
be able to deliver my action plan, and more importantly the financial targets we want
to achieve, is through effective delegation. However, delegation must be done carefully
and over the years I have become highly competent in this area. I approach delegation by following
six important steps. Step number one is DEFINING THE TASK I want to achieve. Defining the task
informs me of the output I want to achieve, and this will assist me in step two, which
is choosing the right person to DELEGATE to, based on their previous history of competence.
If someone has a track record of delivery, they will repeat that level of competence.
The third step is making sure I COMMUNICATE with absolute clarity and purpose what I want
from the delegation. This is a very important step as clarity of understanding is vital.
Step four is encouraging the person I am delegating to, to ASK QUESTIONS and provide me with feedback
on the task required. I will then, during step five, provide them with a SCHEDULE OF
WORK and a DEADLINE for completion. The final step is to MONITOR PERFORMANCE regularly,
without micromanaging, to ensure we are on track to achieve the relevant task or objective.”
That answer demonstrates you fully understand the importance of delegation, and that you
have a plan in place of choosing the right people to delegate to. Now, I still have some
questions to go through, so please do stick around. But when you are ready, if you CLICK
THAT LINK in the top right hand corner of the video, it will take you through to my
website where you can download my full set of CEO (Chief Executive Officer) interview
questions and answers. Next question: How do you see our company changing over the next
two years, and how do you plan to create the change necessary? Here's my suggested answer:
“Prior to attending the interview, I researched both the organization in detail and the opportunities
I see available to us over the next few years. From the information and data I obtained,
I believe our customers and clients are seeking new and innovative products and services.
It is clear that the way people are purchasing their products and services is changing, and
we have the opportunity to embrace this change by using new and innovative marketing methods
and also making sure we develop the manner in which we connect with our customers and
clients to deliver what they need. I also feel it’s very important to ensure our service
delivery and customer service is to the highest standards possible. A company cannot survive
unless its service standards are the absolute best they can be. Consumers expectations are
continually growing, and we must respond to positively. In respect of delivering the change
needed, I will do this by utilizing our strengths, making good use of the strong brand and reputation
the organization already has, and also making sure there is an organizational culture that
views change as beneficial, and that also sees our customers and clients as the most
important asset we possess.” Next question of our CEO interview: What do you do outside
of work? So this is a question that is designed to see what you're REALLY like as a person!
How do you spend your free time? And of course, as a CEO, you won't have much free time. However,
you do need to make time for your family and also more importantly, for your own personal
development. Here we go: “Outside of work, I divide my time between my family, my health
and well-being, and also my own personal development. I am extremely fortunate that I have a supportive
partner who understands that my work must come first, and whilst I often do a lot of
work late into the night, we do find time to spend quality time together as a family.
I also enjoy walking and running a few times a week. When I say walking, I mean brisk walking,
as this is a great way to keep fit and also clear my head in preparation for the next
day’s challenges and opportunities that come with being a CEO. From a personal development
perspective, I am an avid reader, and I usually have a non-fiction book on the go. I’ve
just finished reading ‘Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win’ by Jocko
Willink. It’s a brilliant read and one that I got a few great tips from in respect of
mindset management and development.” What I like about that answer, is it shows that
you are a stable person. You know, you spend time with your family. You know, if you have
children, you spend time with your partner and you look after your own health and well-being.
You know how important that is in respect of mindset-management. And then also, you're
looking to personally develop as an individual, which obviously will help you in your role
as a CEO. Next question: How many messages are there in your inbox right now and how
do you manage your emails? This question comes up quite a lot during CEO interviews. A lot
of people think it’s right to say: “Oh yeah, there's like hundreds of emails in my
inbox!” but this is my suggested response to this question: “That’s a great question.
Prior to attending the interview today, there were approximately 25 emails in my inbox.
For some people, this may come across that I don’t get many emails, but actually receive
dozens every day. The main point is, I am very effective at managing my emails. This
is something that’s been ingrained into me ever since I started working many years
ago as a junior member of staff. I simply have to make sure all of my emails are either
actioned, delegated, or deleted as soon as possible so I can stay on top of things. As
a CEO, I will be available at all times of the day and night, so I will always be able
to manage my emails consistently. I prioritize emails based on who the message is from, the
urgency needed in respect of responding, and also how the information affects the organization.
I will also, wherever possible, delegate emails to other people. There are many times during
the day where I will simply ignore and delete an email. If it doesn’t require a response,
it simply won’t get one.” That shows that you are able to manage your messages, and
I like to stay on top of my emails. I hardly have any emails in my inbox… as they come
in, I deal with them, because that makes sure that my mind is fresh and I'm ready for the
challenges that will come during the day. If you want my full set of CEO Interview Questions
and Answers, there is a link there. Even if you just want the questions I recommend you
prepare for, I suggest you CLICK THAT LINK and then you can read all of them. There’s
about 24 CEO interview questions that I recommend you prepare for, but you can also download
the answers for a small fee, and you can get those that I've just gone through, and also
the other ones that have provided you with. I hope you enjoyed that! Please do SUBSCRIBE
to the channel, and as I say, I'd appreciate your support if you LIKE the video. Thank
you for watching and I wish you the best for passing your Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
interview. Have a brilliant day!