There are hiring decisions you celebrate right away.
And then there are hiring decisions that stay with you—not because they were wrong, but because they quietly shape how you lead years later.
This is one of those.
At the Time, I Wasn’t the Decision-Maker
When this happened, I wasn’t the principal.
I was an assistant principal serving on an interview panel. I didn’t have final say, but I was close enough to the process to feel the weight of the decision—and close enough to learn from it.
The candidate was strong.
Experienced.
Well-spoken.
Prepared.
On paper, they made a lot of sense. Their interview answers were solid. Nothing felt off in an obvious way.
If you were sitting on the panel, you probably would have nodded along.
So did we.
The Part I Couldn’t Quite Name
There was nothing wrong with the interview.
But there was something missing.
Not enthusiasm.
Not intelligence.
Not effort.
What I struggled to articulate then—but understand much more clearly now—was this:
I couldn’t quite tell how this person would show up when things got messy.
When the answer wasn’t clear.
When competing priorities collided.
When someone was upset and there was no perfect solution.
They had strong answers, but I wasn’t sure I trusted their judgment yet.
At the time, I didn’t have the language for that feeling. I just knew it mattered.
What That Experience Taught Me (Years Later)
I didn’t realize how formative that experience would be until much later in my career.
Last year, as a principal, I hired 188 employees.
That process forced me to slow down in ways I hadn’t before—especially with candidates who were excellent on paper, but where something in the interview gave me pause.
Instead of rushing past that feeling, I leaned into it.
I spent extra time with those candidates.
I took them for coffee.
I addressed my concerns directly.
Not to disqualify them—but to understand them better.
And here’s the part that still stands out to me:
Every single one of those candidates ended up getting the job, and every single one of them has been an outstanding hire.
Had I not learned—years earlier—that it’s okay to slow down when something doesn’t sit right, I’m not sure I would have made those same decisions.
What Changed in How I Hire
That early experience taught me something I carry with me now:
Strong interviews don’t eliminate the need for discernment. They heighten it.
Over time, I’ve learned to listen for things that aren’t tied to accomplishments alone.
I listen for:
- How candidates frame decisions
- Whether they can hold multiple truths at once
- How they talk about people they disagreed with
- Whether they reflect—or simply report
Those signals matter more to me now than perfectly polished answers.
Not because I expect candidates to be finished leaders—but because I want to know how they grow.
The Hard Truth for Candidates
Here’s the part that’s uncomfortable, but honest:
Sometimes candidates walk out of interviews having done everything “right”… and still aren’t selected.
Not because they weren’t good enough.
But because readiness isn’t just about competence. It’s about trust.
Trust that you’ll make sound decisions when the pressure is real.
Trust that you’ll represent the campus well.
Trust that you’ll listen, learn, and adjust when you get it wrong.
That trust doesn’t come from memorized answers. It comes from how you think—and how you talk about your thinking.
Why I Still Think About That First Interview
I still think about that early experience—not because it led to a bad outcome, but because it changed me.
It made me:
- Ask better follow-up questions
- Spend more time when something feels unfinished
- Resist the urge to rush toward certainty
- Trust my professional instincts without being ruled by them
Most importantly, it taught me that hiring well often requires slowing down, not speeding up.
A Final Reflection
If you’re preparing for assistant principal interviews, here’s what I hope you take from this:
You don’t need to sound perfect.
You do need to sound thoughtful.
Grounded.
Reflective.
Ready to grow.
Those qualities don’t come from rehearsing answers. They come from understanding your experiences—and being willing to examine them honestly.
That’s what earns trust.
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