[simsla]

I think my experience as an interviewer has helped. If you ask non-leading questions, sycophancy doesn't come into play as much.

Instead of saying "are you sure?" or "shouldn't we do X instead?" you could say "give me the benefits and drawbacks of this compared to X".

Also, when you yourself are sure, give clear stear. "This overcomplicates A, let's do B instead."