How to be impressive in a job interview without sounding like a narcissist

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by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic

 

Job interviews are the fortune cookies of hiring—vague and often misleading. But companies keep using them, despite research suggesting that typical job interviews are mostly unreliable predictors of future job performance, because they give hiring managers the illusion of insight, and a convenient way to validate gut instinct with zero data.

It’s not that all interviews are useless; some formats, like structured behavioral interviews with scoring rubrics, including AI-based scoring algorithms that match responses to actual outcomes and future performance, can be moderately predictive. But the typical unstructured interview? Oftentimes, it conveys the illusion of predictability by allowing hiring managers and interviewers to unleash their biases and subjective preferences during the interview, and then reactivate those same biases during their job performance ratings and evaluations of those candidates, once they become employees. It’s mostly a personality contest masquerading as a talent evaluation.

The candidates who perform best in interviews are often the ones with the most confidence, charisma, and charm. Unfortunately, these traits are also the calling cards of narcissists, Machiavellians, and the occasional smooth-talking psychopath. What passes for “leadership gravitas” can often be ego dressed in a blazer.

In fact, studies show that narcissists are more likely to be seen as competent in interviews—especially by less experienced, trained, or qualified interviewers who confuse bravado with ability.. So how do you stand out in an interview without sounding like you’re auditioning for a TED Talk titled “Why I’m Amazing (and You’re Lucky I’m Here)”?

Here are five science-based recommendations:

1. Quantify your brilliance instead of announcing it

It’s one thing to say you’re “a strong leader.” It’s another to say you managed a team that increased revenue by 35% in under a year during a hiring freeze. Guess which one gets remembered? Vague self-praise triggers skepticism. Data builds trust. Candidates who provided specific behavioral examples—especially with measurable outcomes—are generally rated significantly higher in competence and hireability. Swap generic lines like “I’m results-oriented” for “I led a cross-functional team that reduced churn by 28% in Q3.” And when you do this, resist the urge to sound smug. If your data is good, it speaks for itself. No need to add a drumroll. Continue reading →

Losing your top talent to your competitors? 3 easy strategies to hold on to them

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by Dominic Ashley-Timms

 

According to the latest Gallup State of the Workplace report, employees are seeking new jobs at the?highest level?since 2015. This trend has been coined “The Great Detachment.”

A key reason for this is increasing employee dissatisfaction with management. For instance, Gallup’s research shows that those who work in companies with?bad management practices?are nearly 60% more likely to be stressed, and stress is the second most-cited factor influencing employees’ decisions to quit.

People’s values have also changed post-COVID-19. Employees prioritize well-being. They expect their contribution to be recognized, and if they aren’t valued or supported, they aren’t prepared to tolerate it.

The rise of Gen Z in the workplace also needs to be considered. They now make up 27% of the workforce across the 38 high-income countries that make up the OECD. This generation wants to be coached, not directed, and if they don’t feel that they’re progressing or that their employer wants to cultivate them, they’ll simply leave.

Yet, management practice has remained unchanged, with managers still using outdated and clunky methods unsuited to today’s workplace. Managers are ill-equipped to give feedback and handle challenging conversations in this rapidly changing work environment and consequently default to directing employees rather than enabling them.

Companies need to upskill their middle managers urgently to keep employees engaged and stop hemorrhaging talent. After all, talent is critical for success—companies in the top quartile of employee engagement achieve?23% higher profitability?than those in the bottom quartile.

If you’re losing your top talent to your competitors and suspect poor management may be a cause, here are three things to do: Continue reading →

5 Servant Leader Strategies to Boost Impact

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by Peter Economy

Research shows that this leadership style can enhance team performance and satisfaction.

Too many employees know what it’s like to work for a boss who’s more focused on the bottom line than on the people who actually get the work done. Servant leadership turns that all-too-common scenario on its head. It focuses on the needs of employees, customers, and other stakeholders instead of focusing on their own needs. Here’s a secret: Research shows that this leadership style can enhance team performance and satisfaction.

When Robert K. Greenleaf first developed the concept of servant leadership during the 1970s, others considered it too gentle for a competitive business environment. Successful organizations today understand that sustainable performance relies on people-oriented leadership. Throughout my own professional journey, I have personally witnessed these transformations, and their results clearly demonstrate their effectiveness.

Here are five practical strategies to adopt servant leadership principles that will boost your team’s effectiveness—and your happiness as a leader.

1. Listen with intent.

How often have you attended meetings where leaders solicit opinions but only pretend to listen until they can get in their own two cents? People can easily distinguish between listening that is just for show and listening that comes from true interest.

Establish routine meetings with team members that have no specific agenda and focus solely on understanding their viewpoint. When someone presents a challenge to you, avoid the instinct to propose solutions right away. Ask open-ended follow-up questions that demonstrate interest, such as: Can you tell me more about that? How is that affecting your work? You’ll be amazed at the knowledge gained when your people experience authentic listening from you.  Continue reading →

How to create leaders who coach, rather than command

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By Aneesh Raman and Teuila Hanson

 

We’re facing a career confidence crisis. Work is changing fast, yet many employees feel stuck. At LinkedIn, our data shows workforce confidence has dropped to a five-year low, and only 15% of employees say their manager has supported them with career planning in the past six months.

Managers can play a big role in righting the ship—helping employees build the new skills they need to stay relevant and develop into future leaders. But this requires a fundamental shift: transforming them from task-overseers to coaches developing talent and sparking the best ideas from their teams. There are some key steps any company can take now to develop a culture of coaching that starts with your managers—but extends well beyond them.

Start to develop your managers as coaches 

If you want your managers to become coaches, that starts by coaching your coaches. Just like elite athletes rely on coaches to reach peak performance, managers also need coaching to unlock their full potential. Coaching is a skill that needs to be intentionally developed. Executives are starting to grasp this opportunity. Nearly 80% of global CHROs agree their managers in the future will spend less time managing tasks and more time coaching teams.

Leading companies are doubling down on this already. For instance, IBM supports first? and second?line managers to grow through targeted programs, assessments, and skill-aligned badges. Manager Impact, for example, is an interactive learning experience that coaches new managers on how to lead with confidence, create meaningful employee experiences, and navigate real-world leadership challenges. Managers who complete these programs achieve significantly higher employee engagement scores, says IBM.

Continue reading →

5 tips for eliminating big egos at work

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by Aytekin Tank

 

 

Freud once wrote, “The ego is not master in its own house.” He argued that the ego, which controls your thoughts and behaviors, is influenced by the id (your most basic impulses) and the superego, which consists of the rules and norms of society. Having a balanced ego is key to personal well-being. Similarly, having and leading with a balanced ego is key to professional and team success.

Leaders with inflated egos can cause irreparable harm to workers and companies. Less willing to entertain contradictory ideas, they stifle innovation and make poorer-quality decisions. Because their egos crave positive attention, they’re susceptible to manipulation. What’s worse, the traits of egocentric leaders often trickle down through an organization, potentially undermining its very fabric. That’s why it’s key for leaders to practice leaving their egos at the door.

Here are five strategies for releasing your sense of self-importance and leading with less ego.

Train your active listening ability like it’s a muscle

If you’ve ever been to a therapist, then you’re familiar with active listening. A good therapist listens attentively, interprets when appropriate, and endeavors to understand what you’re saying. They don’t just hear you, but they make you feel heard. In doing so, they allow their own ego to fall away.

Like strength training at the gym, you can train your active listening ability as if it were a muscle. The core components of active listening are comprehending, retaining, and responding. By working on these skills, you can become a better active listener.

You should also get in the habit of clarifying misunderstandings in the moment, for example due to slang or technical explanations. Ask questions and seek further explanations. If necessary, request that someone break down a concept into terms a child would understand. Tune out any distractions and try to be aware of your own biases. And finally, communicate that you’ve understood what someone has said.

Active listening takes effort, but like weightlifting, it gets easier with repetition. Continue reading →