Mindful of the trap possibilities, the interviewee would always do well to qualify the question by asking for a timescale (at what point in my career?) before answering. This shows that some consideration is taking place rather than a knee-jerk, and that the question is producing a serious response rather than a fanciful one.

Aside from this, the best answer to the question, as for any interview question, is to use the opportunity to sell the strengths of the interviewee as a potential asset to the organisation. This would produce an answer that creates a picture of a loyal, results-orientated person, making a significant contribution to the organisation (status and level would depend on timescale). If the answer is poor it will trigger a probing follow up that puts pressure on the interviewee to justify a daft response. If the answer is impressive there probably won't be a follow-up as there's nothing to probe and the interviewer can move on. Wrong a answers would include: 'boss of my own company' 'your job' 'the top salesman on half a mill a year' 'CEO of this company' (unless you can justify the claim) a pop star, a railway engine driver, a film star, etc Good answers would include:
'A manager or executive with this organisation in (function relative to experience and skill set) where I have the responsibility and accountability for using my skills and efforts to achieve great results, work alongside great people, and get a fair reward.' 'I'd like to become an expert in my field (state function if relevant), where I'm able to use my skills and abilities to make a real difference to the company's performance.'