InterExec have done an interesting survey into the area’s where senior executives are most likely to fall down in interview.
The leading trait to lead to failure is arrogance and over-confidence, followed closely by poor communication skills (or the inability to listen) with inadequate prepation in third place. Other factors included a failure to demonstrate sector knowledge, demanding too high a salary package, being too controlling, not being focussed enough, poor personal presentation, getting caught lying (with 5% of the votes!) and being too laid back.
Whilst interview prepaartion ought to be given to every candidate it’s not always easy as a recruiter to give feedback to a senior candidate that they come across as arrogant. However, with over 20% of candidates, in this survey, having this as their major failing perhaps it’s a message some of us need to learn to give.
I’m no expert but why not try something like “you’re really confident and know your own opinion, which is something that I admire about you. But I think you might overdo it sometimes and come across as a little arrogant, and it’s something I know interviewers just don’t like”
If you’ve got a better suggestion on how to give this type of feedback or just prepare a candidate better for interview please share it!
Someone said, and I believe, that “Success is the result of a series of failures from which one has learned.” This book is filled with important and interesting failures that you can learn from. Most business books focus on and celebrate successes in the business world, but here the author has focused on some of the largest blunders in recent history (e.g. Enron, Iridium), as well as lesser known mistakes. What makes it so valuable is that Finkelstein has taken a systematic approach to analyzing these missteps to find patterns that will be recognizable to anyone who has worked in a business. Beyond that, the book offers excellent insight on ways to get back on track and avoid a fate similar to the companies studied.
As for the enjoyable part, the book is told through a series of anecdotes and in-depth retellings of mostly familiar blunders. Reinforced with insider interviews and extensive research of the contemporary media coverage, these stories come alive making it very readable. This combination of message and method make “Why Smart Executives Fail” an extremely valuable and somewhat unique resource.