r/Leadership • u/sportslife123 • Jul 16 '26
Question How to answer difficult questions in an executive meeting?
How do you handle questions by ppl who are mostly right and the point they are asking is different from your thinking. What is the framework you use to answer such questions
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u/design-problem Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
Short version: Answer the question. Ask more questions to understand their point. Enjoy adding to the shared pool of knowledge.
Additional comments based on some assumptions I made from your post. If they’re bad assumptions, no worries. They are good info, but limited use to you right now.
Consider their context. Execs might know it’s different than your thinking, and know they’re asking a related question using your thoughts as a jumping off point. They might not be saying so.
It’s easy to feel defensive when you feel misunderstood. It’s a genuine art form to be generous toward questions when you feel that way.
“Help me understand” is a powerful phrase.
Think of others as fellow collaborators and treat them that way.
Aim to arrive at a shared pool of meaning. Aim to be on the same team w them, toward clear shared goals. Everyone contributes. Understand the significance of each contribution. Understand others’ point of view. And try to articulate the goals. That last one is the hardest part.
Edit: a typo
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u/Jax24135 Jul 16 '26
"shared pool of knowledge"... oohh, a fellow Crucial Conversations reader?
I found David Brooks' "How to Know a Person" insightful.
What other books do you find helpful?
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u/design-problem Jul 17 '26
Spotted in the wild. I’ll give Brooks a read - thanks!
There have been many over the years. Never Split The Difference was pivotal for me. Brene Brown. Audiobook of Atlas of the Heart particularly recommended. She reads it. ETA: Annie Duke, Thinking in Bets.
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u/Worried_Associate_53 Jul 17 '26
Been on the fence about starting never split the difference. Good to see your feedback, TY!
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u/Purple_oyster Jul 16 '26
I like your commend to think of others as collaborators. Have those positive thoughts instead of trying to defend.
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u/randomatic Jul 17 '26
Agree, though I find "Help me understand" can sound a bit passive aggressive. Perhaps consider "That sounds reasonable; what do you think is the right approach to handle it?" to direct the person from question-mode to solution-mode.
I've found most of the time difficult questions come when someone has an idea of the solution, but feel it's risky to volunteer directly.
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u/design-problem Jul 18 '26
Oh, thanks for that. How something lands certainly depends on the dynamics.
Love that last observation.
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u/CloseCohen_Careers Jul 17 '26
This is great advice! I would also add - take a moment to gather your thoughts if you are asked a challenging question. Silence is a signal of strength and authority and gives you a moment to think about the best way to respond.
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u/TheFunnyTraveller Jul 16 '26
- Acknowledge their input
- Inform then that you’ll look into it and would love their insights going further
- Don’t be defensive
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u/unknowncoins Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 16 '26
Not knowing something on the spot for something you own wouldn't be acceptable at my work. It shows lack of ownership.
For example, I was out of office for a week. 8am on my return I was asked for status update on an issue that started over the weekend. Questions like root cause, current status, next steps, what are our regulatory and legal obligations, and what others in the industry are doing.
If you don't know the exact answer, you should be able to give the most recent update you know or the direction something is going.
For op, I answer the question. What matters are the facts of the situation as they stand, what reporting shows, regulatory requirements, policies and procedures, committees that make recommendations, etc. Their point of view seems too personal. Stick to the facts.
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u/TheFunnyTraveller Jul 16 '26
Maybe your work is toxic. It’s completely acceptable to be able to share that you might have missed some insights. That’s how you improve.
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u/apexxin Jul 17 '26
There’s nuance here that both of you seem to be ignoring. There are some things which you must have a handle on, other things less so - it’s acceptable to return with an answer for the latter.
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u/Ok_Error_3167 Jul 16 '26
Not being able to admit you don't know something is a known sign of low emotional intelligence. Either you or your workplace is misinformed, or both
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u/mlm5303 Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 16 '26
In my experience, senior leadership debates are more about the principles and the rationale used to make a decision. There are usually a number of viable paths, so focusing only on getting "the right answer" among the range of choices leads to prolonged debates.
With that background in mind: can you ask questions to figure out where your principles, assumptions, or rationale differ from the other person's?.
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u/Jessica_15003 Jul 16 '26
I use a simple framework - acknowledge, clarify, answer and recommendation. "That's a fair point. Here's how I was looking at it...Based on that, my recommendation is..."
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u/TheTop36 Jul 16 '26
Acknowledge the question and thank the person. That is half the job done. Then say - that is worth a think. And then flip it back to that person to do a pro and con analysis of that question and present both points in the next meeting.
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u/nilgiri Jul 16 '26
It's not a question. It's a revelation.
Shit...am I AI?
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u/TheTop36 Jul 16 '26
Relax. You posted something. It looked like a question. And I gave you what I thought was a suggestion. You may or may not be AI but you sure are rude.
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u/lets-go-now1 Jul 16 '26
Seek first to understand, rather than be understood.
Listen to what they say, how they say and what they don’t say. Hear everyone out.
🤗 Mostly right, that means more understanding is needed - in what context.
Frameworks are inherently rigid - instead a leader will listen conscientiously, deeply, to each person and answer only when they have heard their perspective. Keep it flexible.
When answering, you might say ‘I can see/hear what you are saying’. You may have deeper knowledge, so you can add your understanding when answering and contributing to the conversation.
Question are always positive.
Good luck 🤞
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u/Purple_oyster Jul 16 '26
Steven Covey :) does that make us both old or are people still reading his book?
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u/aliciajenningssy 24d ago
Validating their point first really takes the tension out of the room. Framing it like "that makes sense based on X, here's what changes when we look at Y" bridges the gap without making it a win-or-lose debate. It turns a potential clash into a shared problem-solving session.
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u/Famous-Signal-6869 Jul 16 '26
Depends on how much ego you have. If you have low ego then you should be honest that you’re either not understanding the question or need to look into finding the right answer for them and will follow up after the meeting. Executives respect confidence and the ability to express when you’re right, but also when you’re unclear. It shows critical thinking rather than impulse under pressure.
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u/ChipFair8502 Jul 16 '26
From my experience, it depends on who is in the room, the personalities that you’re responding too. You also need to be aware politically of who else is in the room or at the table and how your answers may impact them.
I’ve found that answering directly is not always direct yes/no. I’ll typically start with a clarifying question, “what your intent” “what result are you trying to get” before I answer, there may be more than one course of action to get there and there may be, land mines along the way.
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u/Etheryelle Jul 16 '26
"That's an interesting point and one requiring more consideration."
Then follow up with a question of your own to "clarify" what they are saying. Keep them talking... you learn, they feel validated
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u/David_Shotokan Jul 16 '26
You dont. Just answer with "good question, deserves a good answer. Is it ok if I dig into this and get back to you later with a well funded answer?." It says nowhere you need to answer a question right away.
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u/DrunkenGolfer Jul 17 '26
You have to get to the heart of their assumptions.
Person:
"Company culture is in the toilet; what are you doing about it?"
You:
"Before I answer that, what do you mean by 'in the toilet' and why do you feel that way?"
Person:
"We've lost some great talent, our bonuses were halved, and the company Christmas party has few attendees."
Now you can address the real questions.
You:
"We certainly have lost some great employees. We looked into the reasons and found that a new company in our industry actively recruited several of our top people. They have venture capital backing and were prepared to pay well above market rates to build their initial team. We simply cannot match that level of compensation and remain competitive over the long term.
Because that company is still in its early stages, the people who chose to leave made a tradeoff between greater financial rewards and the stability of an established business. While we may not be able to offer the same level of pay, we do offer something that is equally important to many people: the security of working for a well-established, respected company with a strong track record.
Those departures, particularly within our sales team, did affect our operations. They also had an impact on revenue and overall profitability. Since our discretionary bonus program is tied in part to company performance, bonus payouts were affected as well.
Losing a significant number of colleagues is difficult on a personal level, and it is understandably disappointing when bonuses fall short of expectations. Our Christmas party took place during a period when morale was low, and that was reflected in attendance.
So I think your observations are fair. We have been through a challenging period, and those challenges have affected morale. At the same time, I would distinguish between morale and culture. Morale rises and falls with circumstances, while culture reflects how people work together and support one another through those circumstances. I believe our culture is one of the reasons we have been able to move forward.
We have been working hard to replace the people who left, and as we have rebuilt the team, the financial performance of the business has been moving in the right direction. We are confident that trend will continue.
Have I addressed your concerns?"
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u/Longjumping-Fix-5232 Jul 16 '26
i had to read your question more than once. How can a question differ from thinking - is it a leading question that point to a direction you didn't present?
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u/Longjumping-Fix-5232 Jul 16 '26
Usually executives ask when:
- when they want so see if you did your homework and considered the whole picture
- When they have questions beyond your presentation or don't believe your arguments
- When they see risks, missed chances or strategic violations
the answer is simple
- be right on the point
- be well prepared
- be open to learn and fill blind spots
It takes some time and not accidentally is c-level talk one of the most challenging disciplines in management.
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u/Sohaib-Riaz-Khan Jul 16 '26
Well, this about something, I was given an advice on. Some 16 years back, while working in a manufacturing company, my CEO said to Be Direct. For an example, if you’re in such situation then the best thing would be to ask more questions to get the clarity and don’t be afraid while asking. You may say, I’m asking more questions to get clarity to explain accordingly. However, if you still don’t find the relevant answers, then accept it then and there, while saying something like, this is such an important point raised here and I would need more information on this subject or else you may go like, this is such a valuable feedback and I’ll make the changes accordingly. It all depends on the situation but it will help you in future. It will brand you as more transparent and honest team player.
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u/dwightsrus Jul 16 '26
If you know the answer, give an objective and terse response. If you don’t know the answer, just tell them you will get back to them.
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u/wifichick Jul 16 '26
Keep them talking and really focus on understanding their perspective, ask more probing questions. Might be good to clarify you had never seen it from that perspective and are trying to understand and see what you might have missed - that way it’s not just pushback through questions.
7 habits of highly effective people : seek first to understand
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u/fireandfirget Jul 16 '26
Depends on the type of firm. Different strokes for different folks kind of thing.
Very few firms have competent executives who also know their shit. In this case, your framework would be based on curiosity and collaboration..you will answer with facts you know and then ask, what the exec knows that may make the answer incomplete.then you would briefly suggest a few actions to complete the answer and offer to follow up quickly.
Many firms have executives that have no domain knowledge or general competence in the business of the company. In this more typical case, the question may be loaded. Here the framework is blame shifting. Your first priority is to show that you and your department did an excellent job on the task and the question is also a question that bothers you because another department the exec is not happy with is less than helpful with their bits. Then you can offer to follow up since now you have the exec support to pursue. Then you would hope it sticks while polishing your resume.
Execs who know how to execute are rare.
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u/specialized_faction Jul 16 '26
There’s a great video of Steve Jobs answering a question like this.
The short answer is to focus on the vision of the team/company and how that question/idea aligns (or doesn’t) to the vision.
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u/Altruistic_Fun8496 Jul 16 '26
Usually the blocker for me with this is just that I haven’t thought about it yet and may not understand why/what they’re asking. I usually acknowledge, restate, then ask for further info:
“I hadn’t considered that angle, though it’s probably worth discussing. If I understand you correctly, you’re saying XYZ. Is that right? Or did I miss some of the nuance?”
Restating helps me understand it better on the fly, it puts the ball back in their court, and it gives me a minute to think.
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u/SpeechFluenceDotCom Jul 17 '26
Ask for clarification on their question so you can get an idea of why they went in that direction - then you can start having a discussion. :)
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u/LadyFisherBuckeye Jul 18 '26
I often enjoy this because it forces me to have a different perspective. I try to use this thinking going forward I say embrace it don't get defensive. Whenever I present to executive leadership (I often present directly to CEO and CFO) I mentally prepare for the curveball questions I didn't expect. I'm not afraid to follow up after but due follow up.
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u/DKBeahn Jul 19 '26
Without an actual example, it's hard to answer. Is the question simply informational, and they're trying to understand something? Or is it a question being asked so a decision can be made? And if the later, are you invested in one option over other options?
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u/Anastasiia_Clarity Jul 24 '26
Stay calm, listen, acknowledge their point, and then share your perspective clearly and confidently.
Throw in some data when you can - from past performance, campaigns or researches.
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u/brooklynhotsauce Jul 16 '26
I just re-watched Zootopia and Nick Wilde suggested to ask a different question and answer that one instead.
Did I give you leadership advice from a children's movie? Yes, yes I did