TESTING UNDER PRESSURE
The room was quiet, save for the low hum of the air conditioning. Zara and Sam sat to the left and right of Kadija, their notebooks open but their pens still. Across the sleek, minimalist table sat Jordan, the candidate. His shirt clung slightly to his back—whether from the subtly adjusted warmth of the room or the weight of the moment, it wasn’t clear.
Kadija leaned back slightly, her expression neutral but her eyes sharp. “Jordan, you’re tasked with solving a sudden logistical bottleneck in your department. There’s a delay in the supply chain, and your team is panicking. What’s your first move?”
Jordan straightened his posture, visibly trying to find the right words. “I would… first analyze the situation and identify the exact point of failure—”
Kadija’s raised hand stopped him mid-sentence. “No. You don’t have time to ‘analyze.’ The delay is active, not theoretical. You have a client waiting, a team scrambling, and zero room for error. What. Do. You. Do?”
Jordan blinked, recalibrating. “I’d assign the most experienced team member to handle the client communication while redirecting resources to address the delay immediately.”
Zara glanced at Sam, raising an eyebrow. Sam leaned slightly toward her and whispered, just loud enough to catch Kadija’s attention, “Think it’s the pressure or the AC?” Zara’s lips twitched, but her focus never wavered from Jordan.
Jordan, oblivious, pressed on. “I’d ensure the team knows what’s expected and provide clear instructions to resolve the bottleneck.”
Kadija’s gaze remained steady, giving nothing away. “Better. But tell me this: why didn’t you account for the potential delay in the first place? Where was your foresight?”
Jordan paused, the silence stretching. “I suppose I could have…” He hesitated, glancing at Zara and Sam as though searching for approval.
Kadija leaned forward, her voice soft but piercing. “Here at the Efficiency Company, hesitation is the quickest way to fail. You don’t get to ‘suppose.’ You anticipate. You prepare. And when something goes wrong, you handle it without excuses. Do you understand?”
Jordan nodded quickly. “Yes, absolutely.”
Zara scribbled something in her notebook, her expression unreadable. Sam leaned back, studying Jordan with detached curiosity.
Kadija continued. “Let’s switch gears. You’re asked to lead a high-stakes project. Your team is underperforming, and you have 72 hours to turn things around. What’s your strategy?”
Jordan swallowed hard, clearly feeling the heat—both literal and figurative. “I’d meet with the team immediately, identify the root causes of underperformance, and reassign tasks based on strengths.”
Kadija tilted her head slightly. “That’s what every average leader would do. I don’t hire average leaders. Try again.”
Jordan’s grip tightened on his pen, but he didn’t break eye contact. “I’d push the team to execute what they’ve been assigned while simultaneously offering support where needed. I’d focus on accountability while ensuring the deadlines are met without compromise.”
For the first time, Kadija’s expression softened—just slightly. “Not bad. But let me tell you something about accountability. It starts with you. If your team fails, it might not always be your fault, but as a leader, it’s your responsibility to reflect on what could have been done differently. If you can own that responsibility, maybe you’ll have a place here. Maybe.”
The room fell silent as Kadija leaned back, gesturing for Zara to wrap things up.
As Jordan left, Zara turned to Kadija with a slight smile. “Think he made it through the pressure cooker?”
Kadija shrugged. “We’ll see. Words are cheap. Results are the real test.”
