10 interview questions to ask marketing leaders

I get asked to interview marketing leaders/CMOs often. Here are the top 10 questions that I like to ask, presented in no particular order:

1. Which project does the best marketing and branding in our industry? Which project is most cringe?
2. What cognitive bias do you most exploit in your marketing work?
3. What important truth do very few marketers agree with you on?
4. What is your favorite positioning strategy and why?
5. What should the strategic orientation of marketing look like in our organization?
6. Which role(s) will be your first, second and third hires? What will you outsource?
7. How would you describe yourself in three words or phrases? How would your friends describe you in three words or phrases?
8. What marketing KPI should we live and die by?
9. What was your most successful marketing campaign? Where did it draw its leverage?
10. What is your go-to technique to influence influencers?