How to Interview For Courage and Innovation

If you want more innovation and courage on your team, start with hiring people with the courage to innovate. In this article, we share how to interview for the right mix and leadership competencies. And, provide sample interview questions to get you started.

Interviewing For Courage and Innovation? Avoid These Common Mistakes

Has that ever happened to you?

You deliberately recruit from a company with the culture you’re looking to create. Your recruit looks great on paper. S/he’s got a tremendous track record of success. But within the first ninety days, you know you’ve made the wrong choice.

When it comes to hiring for employees with the courage to innovate and the ability to execute with clarity, it makes sense to fish where the fish are most likely to be—to identify companies with cultures that are doing this well and to recruit for the leaders who are making this happen.

Make sure you also dig a level deeper to ensure your candidate has actually been instrumental in what you’re looking to accomplish and in similar circumstances to what they’ll encounter in your organization.

Ideally, your candidate will have demonstrated that they have both the courage to innovate and execute so they can be an integral part of your courageous culture. (Learn more about our courageous cultures research here).

Or you can strategically build integrated teams with complementary skill sets.

Why Hiring People with The Courage to Innovate is So Tricky

Violet recruited Brian into the General Manager role because of his long track record of success at an established Fortune 500. Her company was on a trajectory of fast growth, so she wanted Brian to up their game. In the interview, he shared lots of best practices from his old company.

Brian’s previous employer was known for its best-in-class training and consistent customer service. The more she heard in the interview, the more excited she was. Brian was perfect for the job.

Until he wasn’t.

As it turns out, Brian thrived in a high-clarity culture. When handed a playbook, he knew exactly what to do. And did it flawlessly. But in the whirlwind of a fast-growing start-up, he was completely lost. He had trouble transferring what he had learned in his old role to his new job.  Frustrated by the lack of guidelines and procedures, he kept going to his boss for help in making every little decision. He was too overwhelmed to innovate. He was lucky to just get through the day.

In the interview, Violet had been so focused on what the company was doing, she didn’t get a good sense of Brian’s capacity to replicate it on his own.

On the rebound from Brian, Violet went in a different direction. This time hiring Sal, a bright millennial with tons of ideas. Sal was the poster child of gung-ho. He had been wildly successful in his last gig at a company known for their innovative culture BECAUSE he had a right-hand guy who operationalized his ideas.

Without that guy, Sal was lost. Violet had been so impressed with Sal’s energy and charisma in the interview, she forgot to ask him about his role in actually making those ideas come to life.

Situation-Based Interview Questions to Uncover Courage and Innovation

We’re going beyond the résumé here. These questions help you surface real stories of action, insight, and growth. Because if they’ve done it before—they’re more likely to do it again.

Courageous Contributions

You’re not looking for someone who says, “I would speak up.” You want: “Here’s when I did. And here’s how it went.”

• Tell me about a time you came up with an idea that was outside the norm. What led up to it, and how did you share it?

• Describe a situation where you challenged a long-standing process or assumption. What was at stake, and how did it play out?

• Share a time you took initiative on a project or improvement without being asked. What prompted you, and what happened next?

• Walk me through a time you spoke up about something you knew might be unpopular or risky. What gave you the courage to do it?

• Tell me about a situation where you had to move forward despite unclear or conflicting guidance. How did you handle it?

Learning from Mistakes and Risk-Taking

You’re listening for honesty, reflection, and a solid “here’s what I did next” moment—not a dramatic story with no growth arc.

• Give me an example of a time something didn’t go as planned. What happened, and what did you learn?

• Tell me about a professional risk you took that didn’t work out the way you hoped. How did you respond?

• Describe a time you got feedback that stung a little. What was the situation, and how did you use it (or not)?

• Share a time when your approach failed. How did you course-correct?

Influencing and Leading Others to Innovate

It’s one thing to be innovative. It’s next-level to inspire others to be.

• Tell me about a time you helped someone else bring their idea to life. What role did you play?

• Share a situation where a team was stuck or resistant to change. How did you get them moving?

• Describe how you’ve encouraged quieter team members to speak up with their ideas. What worked?

• Give me an example of how you built momentum or buy-in for a new initiative.

Executing in Ambiguity

Innovation is great. Execution is greater. Courageous cultures need both.

• Describe a time when you had to create a new process or approach from scratch. What was the challenge, and what did you do?

• Tell me about a project where the plan changed midway. How did you adapt and keep things on track?

• Walk me through a moment when you had limited resources or time. How did you prioritize and deliver?

• Share a situation where you had to balance trying something new with meeting a tight deadline.

Values, Motivation, and Integrity

This is where you find out what drives them when no one’s watching.

• Tell me about a time you stood up for a value or principle that mattered to you, even when it was hard.

• Describe a situation where you were tempted to play it safe—but chose to stretch or speak up instead.

• Share a time when you realized you were in the wrong environment for your best work. What did you do about it?

• What’s a moment in your career that made you feel especially proud—because it aligned with what matters to you?

👀 Bonus Tip: Watch for These Story Signals

• Specific details (names, stakes, outcomes)

• Role clarity (“I did…” vs. “my team did…”)

• Signs of ownership, risk, reflection, and results

These questions not only help you hire better—they spark powerful conversations that build trust from the start. You’ll not only learn what they did, but how they think—and that’s where the magic lives.

Does your company need a Courageous Culture – with higher engagement and a results-oriented approach to innovation? Where your employees speak up, share their ideas and drive quality performance and productivity? Check out our Strategic Leadership and Team Innovation pages for more information on our leadership development programs. Then, watch the video below about our book – your roadmap to a Courageous Culture.

Your turn. What are your favorite interview questions to uncover courage and innovation?

See more in our latest book Courageous Cultures: How to Build Teams of Micro-Innovators, Problem Solvers, and Customer Advocates. 

You can download the First Chapter FOR FREE here.

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