THE ONE THING

1. AI Interviews are Here (I Just Did One)

A few weeks ago, I completed my first executive-level interview conducted entirely by an AI chatbot. This was for a senior consulting role at the VP level.

The AI was contextual and surprisingly humane. Here is what happened and what leaders can learn.

What surprised me

• Context-aware questions. The AI pulled detailed experiences from my resume and pressed for specifics. When I gave a generic answer, it followed with “tell me more about X.”

• True dialogue (didn’t feel mechanical). The AI cross-referenced earlier answers and asked for clarification when there were gaps.

• Guardrails that reduce cheating with AI. The screen was locked and the copy and paste feature was disabled to discourage using ChatGPT. A warning stated that excessive window switching would flag and terminate the interview.

• Low stress pacing. There was no time limit on the interview. I stepped away for 30 minutes to pick up my daughter, then resumed with everything saved.

• Fit discovery. The questions surfaced the real demands of the role. For example, the AI asked for deep experience with regulatory compliance standards, which helped me gauge my own excitement for the work.

• Clear signal at the end. It told me I met the requirements and would potentially move on to an interview with the hiring manager. I wasn’t expecting immediate feedback.

• It ran long. The process said it would take around 20 minutes. Mine took closer to 2 hours, likely because a VP scope triggered deeper questions.

The takeaway

There are two things that stood out as genuinely useful.

• Quality filter. A two hour conversation with an AI bot discourages casual applicants and rewards serious candidates. So it can act as a quality filter for candidates.

• Stronger role clarity. The questions worked as a preview of the job. Which means that candidates can self select in or out based on what those questions reveal about the role.

Overall, the AI interview felt rigorous and fair. It pressed for evidence, respected my time, and gave me an insight into what I can expect.

I expect more companies to use AI screeners as the first step in hiring.

BOOK EXCERPT

2. “If you don’t step on toes, I will fire you. Is that clear?” - Elon Musk

I'm currently re-reading Walter Isaacson's book about Elon Musk and the sections below really stood out.

The following story reveals a lot about Musk's unique (and intense) leadership style — especially what happened after an intense meeting, when Isaacson asked if he was too harsh.

(Skim through the highlighted parts if you don’t have a lot of time to read)

The takeaway

Was this brutal? Maybe.

Was it effective? Depends on who you ask.

I’m not passing judgment here or making references about politics.

I’m just reflecting on how wildly different leadership styles can be and how they shape teams, companies, and outcomes.

For me, the takeaway is simple: Elon Musk is very direct and non-emotional with his communication style.

He is crystal-clear about expectations and just as clear about the repercussions if you don’t meet his expectations.

And whether you agree with it or not, that level of clarity is something every leader can learn from.

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3. Learn AI Quickly with the Rundown

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THE 80/20

5. An 80/20 Tip You Can Apply Today

Here’s a low-effort, high-impact tip you can use with your team today:

• What: For every virtual meeting, you need 1) a leader and 2) to document it

• Why: Because 1) no leader = a waste of time and 2) no documentation = a useless meeting

• Example: For every meeting, the assigned meeting leader should, at a minimum, document the following: decisions, action items, and any risks or issues.