[karmakaze]

I've encountered this too, where I was interviewed by many of the team I would be working with, and was considered a good fit, except for by the one high-standing academic type, who didn't. In that situation, I knew I wasn't impressing that person I was just being myself. Maybe I was subconsciously testing they're openness because I remember I would use a certain word/expression and they would rephrase it and instead of mirroring their phrasing I would say it the way I thought of it. It wasn't so much about being right/wrong but maybe not rocking the boat or just 'be like them'.