How to spot toxic leaders in a job interview

Most people walk into a job interview thinking: I have to prove myself. True. But the interview goes both ways. You're being evaluated, and you're evaluating them. The question is whether you're asking the right questions to understand what you're walking into.

Toxic leadership rarely reveals itself openly in an interview. It often hides behind answers that initially sound like strong leadership. But if you know what to look for, you can spot the signals.

The dead-fish question: a true story

From the field

“What would you do if dead fish suddenly started falling from the ceiling in this room?”

I once asked a leadership candidate this question. He laughed. Briefly. Then he answered, and his response revealed more than any standard interview question could have.

His answer: He would call a technician and have everyone leave the room. Problem solved.

What the question tests: In an unexpected situation, does this person think about the team first? Do they look for the source of the problem before reacting? Do they think beyond the obvious?

A strong answer might have been: “First, I'd make sure everyone in the room is safe. Then I'd try to identify the source of the problem. Is it coming through the ventilation system? Is anyone hurt? After that: call the appropriate professionals, secure the room, and inform the team.” Team first. Cause second. Solution third.

Unexpected questions make it harder to fall back on rehearsed answers. That's precisely why they can reveal patterns in how someone thinks and reacts.

Weak answer

Laugh. React superficially. Give the most obvious answer without thinking it through. Ignore the team. Make no attempt to identify the cause.

Strong answer

Pause briefly. Think in a structured way: safety → cause → solution → communication. Put the team first.

10 questions that can expose toxic leadership

“Tell me about a mistake you made as a leader and what happened afterward.”

What you're looking for: self-reflection or blame-shifting. Someone who can't name a mistake of their own, or who always ends up making someone else responsible, shows little willingness to examine their own behavior.

“How do you react when a team member criticizes you publicly?”

What you're looking for: the ability to handle criticism. Someone who responds defensively, evasively, or punitively may be more interested in protecting their ego than their team.

“If I asked your employees what you could do better, what would they say?”

What you're looking for: whether the person has compared their self-image with how their team sees them. Someone who pauses and answers honestly has probably reflected on their own leadership. Someone who immediately lists only strengths may never have seriously considered the question.

“How do you work with employees who have significantly more expertise than you in a particular area?”

What you're looking for: confidence vs. feeling threatened. Strong leaders build on other people's expertise. Weak leaders feel threatened by it.

“How do you make a decision when most of the team disagrees with you?”

What you're looking for: how the person handles resistance. Do they listen? Do they incorporate other people's arguments? Or do they rely on their position in the hierarchy to make the call?

“What's your first instinct when someone challenges your judgment in a meeting?”

What you're looking for: their response to dissent. Describing that first instinct can reveal more than a perfectly rehearsed answer. Also pay attention to how the person reacts while talking about it.

“Tell me about a time when you had to tell someone a difficult truth.”

What you're looking for: willingness to be direct or a tendency to avoid conflict. Someone who consistently avoids difficult conversations is unlikely to handle them well as a leader.

“Describe your leadership style in three words, and give me a specific example of each.”

What you're looking for: whether the person can distinguish between self-image and actual behavior. Attractive adjectives are easy to come up with. Concrete examples are harder.

“What happens on your team when a project fails?”

What you're looking for: how the team handles failure. Is the first response to find someone to blame, or to understand what happened and what can be learned from it? The answer can reveal a lot about how safe people feel discussing mistakes openly.

“What would a former employee who didn't like you say about you?”

What you're looking for: distance from their own self-image. Someone who responds thoughtfully and honestly shows self-awareness. Someone who is convinced that nobody would have anything critical to say may primarily be revealing how little distance they have from their own perspective.

What body language can tell you

Don't just listen to the answers. Pay attention to what changes during the conversation. A single gesture proves very little. What becomes interesting are patterns, shifts, and moments when someone's words, tone, and body language don't align.

How does the person respond to unexpected questions? Do they take a moment to think, or immediately produce a polished response? Does their posture change when the questions become more critical? Do they start looking away more often, change their tone, or create more physical distance?

When a question becomes uncomfortable, do they change the subject or suddenly become vague? Is there a noticeable gap between what they're saying and how they're saying it? No single signal gives you a verdict. But several changes in context can be a reason to ask another question.

“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” — Maya Angelou

Bottom line

A job interview isn't a one-way test. Both sides are gathering information and making a decision. The questions you ask therefore matter just as much as the answers you receive.

Use the time. Ask about mistakes, criticism, dissent, failed projects, and difficult truths. And pay attention not only to what someone says, but to how they say it.

Sometimes dead fish falling from the ceiling can tell you more about a leader than an entire résumé.

Sources: Maya Angelou, as quoted by Oprah Winfrey, When People Show You Who They Are, Believe Them (oprah.com).

Published June 2026

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How to spot toxic leaders in the interview: The questions that reveal more than any standard answer.