By Richard Sterling, Partner at AltoPartners Australia.

This article was first posted on LinkedIn. To read the original post, click here.

This Is Your Moment

You’ve been here before, haven’t you?

Sitting across from the selection panel for a non-executive director role at a For Purpose organisation. You’ve nailed the interview.

Then comes your grand finale: “Do you have any questions for us?”

As an executive search professional sitting in on board interviews, I’ve seen this moment often wasted.

A throwaway question about next steps. A question that shows you haven’t done your homework. Or worse, no question at all.

Miss this chance to show insight, curiosity and strategic thinking and it leaves a mark. The panel’s ‘yes’ can quickly shift to a ‘maybe’ or worse.

The strongest candidates use this moment to lean in.

They ask sharp, thoughtful questions that reveal how they think, demonstrate genuine curiosity and leave the panel with a lasting impression.

There are many questions you could ask but these three stand out. They are not mine. They come from candidates who knew how to seize their moment.

Ask : “How true is the organisation to its mission?”

You are asking this to understand what drives decisions. Is purpose shaping strategy or is funding in the driver’s seat?

You want to know if the mission is lived or just listed on the website. You are listening for signs the culture is aligned or drifting.

Most importantly, it shows you are not here to nod along. You are thinking like a board member who is focused on impact, discipline and long-term alignment.

Ask : “In what ways is your strategy shaped by your theory of change?”

This gets to whether the organisation understands how it creates impact or is just hoping it does.

You want to know if strategy is grounded in evidence or held together by assumptions. You’re listening for a clear link between daily activity and long-term outcomes.

This question shows you are focused on rigour, clarity and the connection between purpose and execution and not just good intentions.

Ask : “How is impact being measured?”

Impact is the bottom line. You want measurable outcomes. You are looking for evidence that evaluation is built in and not added on.

This shows you are focused on what matters: knowing what is working, what is not and where to focus resources for the greatest return on mission.

And now, a question for you

You may not like the answers provided by the panel. So, what will you do?