I recently came across two questions reportedly used in recruiting at Tesla. They are deceptively simple, and I think they reveal something fundamental about what separates exceptional people from everyone else.
The first question:
“Describe your resume, and talk about the intentionality of your career.”
In other words, did things happen to you, or did you go after things?
The second question:
“What makes you exceptional? Give us an example of exceptional ability.”
The idea was to find people who could win under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. People who, when the odds were against them, found a way to get across the finish line.
The thinking was simple. Fill a company with people who know how to win, and you increase the likelihood of building a winning company.
I like these questions.
What interests me most is that neither question is really about qualifications, education, experience, or technical expertise.
Both questions reveal how a person operates.
And that’s far more interesting.
Founder of Goldzone Group and the primary author of Renaissance for Leaders. Harrison’s work focuses on the study of leadership and the conditions that shape human performance and decision-making.