Especially the ones designed to make you invisible.
In 1984, Michael Jordan walked onto the basketball court wearing black and red Air Jordans. There was just one problem: the NBA required shoes to be at least 51% white. Nike knew the rules. They knew they’d be fined $5,000 per game.
Nike had decided to enter the basketball market, owned by Converse then, and had put all their money behind the youngest, hottest player in basketball. They even named the black and red shoes after him: Air Jordan.
Nike saw the $5,000 fine as a bargain to appear on television and get national exposure, so they decided to break the rules. They didn’t ask for permission. They bet on their vision. Not surprisingly, the TV cameras focused on the banned shoes the entire game. The sports commentators were outraged. Everyone was talking about the rebellious shoes and Nike’s audacity.
Air Jordan became the anti-establishment icon, the shoes for rebels. By 2022, Air Jordan sales hit $5 billion. In 2023, Nike acquired Converse.
It all started with breaking the rules.
So, what does this have to do with interviewing?
Let’s talk about your interview yesterday.
Let me guess what happened:
Your interviewer walked in late, distracted, maybe even apologetic. They haven’t read your résumé. They fumbled through questions, three at a time, cutting you off before you could finish your answers. Deep down they are nervous, probably more than you are.
Did you know that most interviewers are terrible at interviewing? They’re occasional interviewers at best. They might have been trained but don’t remember. They don’t know what questions to ask. And they likely overthink the whole experience because they know how critical recruiting is. And like everyone else, they’re busy, maybe stressed, and honestly? They wish the interview was already over.
As for you, you came 100% prepared. Ready with polished stories and ready to answer the toughest questions. Yet you mirrored the tension, shrinking your presence, waiting for them to take control of a lame conversation. You answered their scattered questions dutifully, hoping they’d see your value. And at the end, you said: “Thank you so much for your time, I really enjoyed our conversation.”
You’re a leader. Don’t interview like a candidate.
You’ve run teams through impossible transformations. You’ve facilitated strategy sessions with C-suite executives. You’ve influenced stakeholders who didn’t want to be influenced. You’ve got this.
So stop waiting for permission and be you:
- Put them at ease. “Looks like you’ve got a lot going on today. How are you doing?”
- Check-in. “Have you had a chance to look at my background, or would it help if I gave you the 90-second version?”
- Lead the conversation. “You’ve certainly got a lot of questions, but before we dive in, let me tell you why I am looking forward to this conversation.”
- Make it a dialogue, not an interrogation. “Let me pause you there. I have a question about what you just said.”
- Redirect when needed. “That’s a great question, and I want to come back to it. But first, can I ask: what’s the biggest challenge this role needs to solve in the first 90 days?”
- Interview them back. “Why does this role exist ? What are the biggest challenges your team is facing?”
The best interview of their week.
When you walk into an interview wearing the Candidate outfit, it creates a black hole that sucks all the energy out of the room. Two people who barely connect. Transactional exchange. Forgettable. Frustrating.
But when you walk in as the Leader you are?
That energy is contagious too. You put them at ease. You connect the dots for them on your relevance for the role. You make them shine as an interviewer. The conversation flows. And suddenly, they’re having the best interview of their week.
That’s the person they remember. That’s the person they want on their team.
Hiring Managers play by rules designed to standardize interviews and make the process efficient. Those rules make everyone look the same. But Hiring managers don’t hire “the same.” They hire memorable.
So, which rule do you need to break first?
