I’ve done 100 Podcasts — This is My Secret to a Great Interview

The answer might surprise you

Photo by Soundtrap on Unsplash

I started my first podcast in 2016 interviewing creators. Since then, I created a leader interview podcast. I also host an interview series with authors. Over the past six years, I’ve interviewed over 100 folks. Someone once asked how to create a great interview.

Here’s my secret.

Create psychological safety.

This might be surprising. Maybe you thought I’d say formulating the right questions. Listen, I love a good question. I was the kid who asked them all day, every day. Why was broccoli green? What happens when we die? Why do people get angry? Why do people lie?

An inherently curious person, I never stopped asking. I even became a leadership coach, a role where it’s a critical skill. A well-formed question can elicit so much information. That is to say, I LOVE questions.

Yes, great questions can create an interesting conversation. And, the environment you create for your guest is far more important than crafting the perfect inquiry. When people feel safe they can be their best selves and we get the best out of them. Feeling safe allows us to go beneath the surface, and talk about the hard stuff, the deep things we long to discuss. We stop…