The last time I felt this way, I got my ass kicked by a bunch of superhumans.
Around Thanksgiving of 2015, I traveled to a series of interviews for a leadership development program. It was a marquee leadership incubator of a major conglomerate and was an excellent opportunity.
They invited their top 15 candidates from around the country.
Somehow, I was one.
At the time, I was selling defense hardware for the world’s largest aerospace company. I was about to finish business school. I was doing objectively pretty well.
I prepared as well as my little arrogant brain could. Which is say it was fine, but not great.
The night before the first day of interviews, they gathered the group at a restaurant in the city for dinner and cocktails.
Upon arrival, the director of the program addressed the group. He thanked us for coming and expressed his excitement for the coming days.
As he said this I was sizing everybody up. Maybe, just maybe I can pull this off.
Then he said they would be selecting one, maybe two candidates at most.
He then said everything is graded.
He then closed by saying good luck and make sure you try the chayote tacos.
Okay, that got serious rather fast.
Well, time to start mingling.
The first person I spoke to had gotten their engineering degree at MIT and had just finished business school at the University of Chicago. They had been working at the company for 7 years and it was their third time to try out for the program.
Holy shit.
I was doomed.
(to be continued tomorrow)
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