What they are really asking

This question checks your ambition and your tact at the same time. Too much ambition sounds like a threat: you're after your manager's chair from day one. Too little sounds like you'll stop growing. The interviewer, who may be that boss, wants to hear that you think about your future without making them nervous.

There's also an honest no. Some people don't want to manage. If you want to grow as a specialist, say that clearly and describe the path you do want. A thoughtful no is much better than a fake yes.

A shape that works

Someday, not now, and why. If the answer is yes, put it in the future and connect it to learning: you'd like to get there by getting very good at this role first. If the answer is no, say what you want instead and why. Either way, show respect for the job itself. Leading people is hard work, and it's worth saying that you know it.

Model answers

Listen to how each answer is built, then make it yours.

Answer 1: a junior accountant in Singapore
Answer 2: a senior software engineer in Tokyo
Answer 3: a sales associate in São Paulo

Check yourself

1What balance does a good answer need?
2Why does the engineer's "no" work well?

Practice · 3 min

Decide your honest answer: yes someday, or no with a different path. Write it in three or four sentences and include one line that shows respect for the manager's role. Record it. Listen for any part that could sound like you're after the interviewer's chair.

Your recording stays on this device. Nothing is uploaded.

Say it today

Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.