You are the leader of a medium size organic cereal company known as "Cereal Stuff ". The mission statement is: "To provide the world with cereals and good stuff that the company can make." You want to expand your business to the Canadian and Mexican markets and develop a new related product containing quinoa that some of your customers have wanted you to make.
You have decided to take on a new vice president to spearhead the expansion. Your business is set up horizontally with each department in charge of their decision making.
Department heads are all vice presidents and they form a team that works with you to lead the company business efforts and to keep the business moving forward. The departments include: production, quality control and product development, finance and accounting, and marketing and sales. The new vice president will be head of the new marketing division.
The business has a culture that is best described as an adhocracy. You are hoping to move toward a more democratic culture. The business values include only using quality organic foods, the customer needs are first, and sustainability in production processes and packaging.
1) Develop questions that are reflective of what skills a leader should have to run a new department on an international basis;
2) Create questions that consider the 21st business landscape, the role of the leader, leadership styles, the need to bring trust to the corporation and globalization;
3) Utilize nonstandard questions for an interview- you want to discuss leadership and not where the candidate views their future in five years. Remember that the candidates have been vetted and are experienced professionals. Give the candidate credit for basic tools of leadership. Focus on what the CEO wants in a candidate for his company;
4) Evaluate the remarks of the candidates as to how their leadership style, and skills in a global market and with sustainable products, will fit the organization and the business landscape of the future as the CEO perceives it.