The big idea: A great leadership conversation is planned like research and run like a friendly talk, so choose with a clear reason, ask for stories and turn what you hear into lessons you can share.
In 60 seconds
- Plan a leadership conversation like research and run it like a friendly talk.
- Choose two leaders with a specific reason, and neither can be family.
- Ask for stories, listen more than you talk, and turn what you hear into lessons.
Do this: nominate two leaders, hold a conversation with each and give a 3 to 5 minute talk on what you learned.
How a leadership conversation works
This assignment puts you in a real conversation with two leaders: one you admire and one Smith GLS alum a few years ahead of you. You already know how to run a casual learning conversation from your HCD work. Here you point that skill at leadership and turn what you hear into a short talk.
Choose
Pick two people you admire and can learn from. Neither can be family.
Output: two names.
Nominate
Write a few sentences for each: why this person, and what you hope to learn.
Output: two rationales.
Prepare
Write a core set of open questions. Research what you can look up so you do not ask it.
Output: 8 to 12 questions.
Converse
Listen more than you talk. Follow the stories. Take notes and thank them.
Output: notes from each meeting.
Present
A 3 to 5 minute talk: who they are, their strengths and traits, and your key lessons.
Output: your in-class presentation.
The two people
An admired or inspirational leader
An executive from a for-profit or nonprofit organization, or a leader from your own life: a former high school teacher, coach, band director, youth director, Sunday school teacher or camp director.
Watch out: fame is not the point. Pick someone whose leading you have seen up close or want to understand.
A Smith GLS alum
Find alumni on LinkedIn or the Smith GLS Facebook group. Choose someone who graduated in 2022 or earlier and who works in an academic or professional area close to yours.
Watch out: a shared major alone is thin. Look for a path you might take.
The family rule
Neither leader can be a member of your family, or a family member of anyone else in your senior class. The point is to build a new relationship and hear a view you do not already know.
An interrogation
- Reads the list in order. The questions drive, not the person.
- Asks yes or no questions. Gets one-word answers.
- Asks what Google knows. “Where did you go to school?”
- Moves on too fast. The best story never gets told.
A casual learning conversation
- Uses the list as a map. You follow the story and come back to the map.
- Asks for stories. “Tell me about a time when…”
- Starts from what you already know. “I read that you moved from audit to operations. What made you switch?”
- Asks one more. “What happened next?” “What did you learn from that?”
Writing the nomination rationaleA few sentences that make the case
A strong rationale answers three questions in a few sentences:
- Why this person? Name something specific they did, not just their title. “She rebuilt the scheduling system at a 400-bed hospital” beats “She is very successful.”
- What do you hope to learn? A real question you carry. “How she got clinical staff to trust a finance analyst.”
- How is it connected to you? Your major, the career you are heading toward or how you know them.
Example (fictional): “Coach Patel led my high school cross-country team and is now the district athletic director. I watched him keep a team of 60 runners at very different levels motivated. I want to learn how he moved from leading athletes to leading other coaches, since I hope to manage a team in operations.”
A core question bankPick 8 to 12 and make them your own
Their path
- Tell me about how you got to the role you have now.
- What was a turning point in your career, and what made it one?
Hard calls and setbacks
- Tell me about a decision you made that others disagreed with.
- What is a mistake that taught you something about leading?
Leading people
- How do you earn trust from a team that did not choose you?
- Tell me about a time you had to give someone hard feedback.
Habits
- What does a normal week look like for you, and what do you protect on your calendar?
- How do you keep learning now that no one gives you a syllabus?
For the GLS alum: the transition
- What surprised you most in your first year after graduation?
- What from Smith GLS have you used at work, and what do you wish you had learned?
- What would you tell yourself as a senior?
Reaching out and running the conversationAsk well, respect their time, follow up
- Ask early. Busy people schedule weeks out. Reach out as soon as your nominations are set.
- Make the ask clear. Who you are, that this is for a Smith GLS leadership course, why you chose them, how long you need and that you will share what you learn in a short class presentation.
- Keep your promise on time. If you ask for 20 minutes, end at 20 minutes unless they offer more.
- Ask before you record. Notes by hand are fine. Ask what they are comfortable with you sharing in class.
- Thank them within a day. Name one thing you learned and will use.
Sample request (fictional): “I am a senior in UT’s Smith Global Leadership Scholars program. For our leadership seminar, we each interview a leader we admire. I chose you because of how you led the plant’s safety turnaround. Would you have 20 to 30 minutes in the next two weeks for a conversation, by phone, video or in person? I will share a few lessons from our talk in a short class presentation.”
Turn notes into lessons the same dayBefore the details fade
- Within a few hours, write the three stories that stuck with you.
- For each story, name the behavior behind it and the situation it fits.
- List three strengths or traits you saw, each with a moment that showed it.
- Write one “so what for me” line. This also makes a strong Leadership Reflection Journal entry.
Try it: Interview Planner
Tool · BUAD 417
Interview Planner
Check your two nominations and your questions, then get a timed outline for your 3 to 5 minute talk.
- 1Nominate
- 2Ask
- 3Outline
Your question set
Your talk outline
Question by question
All checks
Put it to work: your Field Interview and Presentation
The Field Interview and Presentation asks you to nominate two leaders early in the term, hold a conversation with each and present what you learned in class. The talk runs about 3 to 5 minutes and covers three things: who your leaders are, their strengths and traits, and the key lessons you took away. You also submit documentation from your meetings. Do not leave this one for the last weeks.
Nominate two leaders
One admired or inspirational leader and one Smith GLS alum. Check both against the rules in the Interview Planner.
Your deliverable: two names, each with a few sentences of rationale.
Reach out and schedule
Send a short, clear request as soon as your nominations are set. Offer a few times and say how long you need.
Your deliverable: two conversations on the calendar.
Write your core questions
Research each person first. Then write 8 to 12 open questions that cover path, hard calls, leading people, habits and, for the alum, the move from college to work.
Your deliverable: a question set that passes every check.
Hold the conversations
Listen, follow the stories and ask what you may share in class. Write up your notes the same day and send a thank-you within a day.
Your deliverable: notes from each meeting to submit as documentation.
Build the 3 to 5 minute talk
Use the planner’s outline: hook, who, strengths and traits, key lessons, close. Rehearse with a timer.
Your slide: one or two slides at most, with photos only if you have permission.
A sample talk outlineExample (fictional): about 4 minutes
Hook (20 sec): “My old coach told me the hardest part of his job is not the runners. It is the parents.”
Who, what, where (50 sec): Coach Patel, now a district athletic director, and a 2019 GLS alum who works as a supply chain analyst at a regional hospital system. Why I chose each.
Strengths and traits (75 sec): Coach Patel: patience, consistency, plain speech, each with a story. The alum: curiosity and the habit of asking clinical staff before building any model.
Key lessons (75 sec): “Set the standard once and repeat it often.” “Earn trust in a new team by learning their work before you change it.” What I will do with each.
Close (20 sec): “Before your first meeting in a new job, ask one person what slows their day down.”
Do this, not thatHabits that make a short talk land
Do this
- Choose leaders whose work you want to understand.
- Ask early and keep to the time you asked for.
- Back each trait with a story you heard.
- Rehearse to finish inside 5 minutes.
- Stand tall, make eye contact and speak up.
Not that
- A family member or a classmate’s family member.
- Asking what you could have looked up.
- Sharing something they asked you to keep private.
- Reading notes word for word, filler words, rambling.
- Running over and taking a classmate’s time.
Before you presentCheck your work
- [ ] Two leaders: one admired or inspirational leader and one Smith GLS alum.
- [ ] Neither is your family or a classmate’s family.
- [ ] The alum graduated in 2022 or earlier and shares your academic or career area.
- [ ] Each nomination has a specific rationale.
- [ ] Your core questions are open, researched and cover the five areas.
- [ ] You asked each leader what you may share in class.
- [ ] Your notes are written up and ready to submit as documentation.
- [ ] Your talk covers who, strengths and traits, and key lessons in 3 to 5 minutes.
- [ ] You sent each leader a thank-you note.
- [ ] If you practiced questions with AI, you entered no personal details about your leaders.
Go deeper
Back to all BUAD 417 topics · Next: The Leadership Reflection Journal
Part of BUAD 417 Executives in Residence, taught by Lane Morris, PhD, in the Smith GLS human-centered leadership program, toward the Human Centered Consulting Certificate.
Frequently asked questions
What is the admired leader interview assignment in BUAD 417?
The admired leader interview is a BUAD 417 Field Interview and Presentation in which each student holds a real conversation with two leaders: one leader they admire and one Smith GLS alum a few years ahead of them. Students choose, nominate, prepare, converse and present, ending with a 3 to 5 minute in-class talk on who the leaders are, their strengths and traits, and key lessons.
How do you prepare questions for an interview with a leader you admire?
Research the person first so you do not ask what you can look up, then write 8 to 12 open questions. Cover their path, hard calls and setbacks, leading people, habits and, for an alum, the move from college to work. Ask for stories, such as "Tell me about a time when…", and have follow-ups ready, like "What happened next?"
What is the difference between an interrogation and a casual learning conversation?
An interrogation reads the question list in order, asks yes or no questions, asks what Google already knows and moves on too fast. A casual learning conversation uses the list as a map, follows the leader's stories and then returns to the map. It starts from what you already know and keeps asking one more question so the best story gets told.
Who can you choose for the BUAD 417 leader interview?
Choose one admired or inspirational leader, such as an executive or a former teacher, coach, band director or camp director, and one Smith GLS alum who graduated in 2022 or earlier and works in an area close to yours. Neither can be your family or a classmate's family. Fame is not the point: pick someone whose leading you want to understand.
How do you ask a busy leader for an interview?
Ask early, because busy people schedule weeks out, and make the request clear. Say who you are, that it is for a Smith GLS leadership course, why you chose them, how long you need and that you will share lessons in a short class presentation. Keep to the time you asked for, ask before recording and send a thank-you within a day.