Greg Stevenson describes a job interview for managing director where the deputy chairman asked if anything in his past could harm the company. Stevenson realized it wasn't a real question but a test of composure. Interviewers watch how you react to uncomfortable questions, not what you say.
At the end of an interview for a managing director role, the deputy chairman took me aside and asked if there was anything that might come out of my closet that they needed to be aware of. Anything that could hurt the company. And here's what I understand now. He was not actually fishing for skeletons. He was watching how I responded to being asked. My composure was the answer before my words came out of my mouth. At the top, the test is not whether your closet is clean. It is whether you can be asked and not flinch. Subscribe if you want more content like this.
