How far have you come?

Few years back, I was interviewing candidates for a role in my team. After meeting several candidates, I shortlisted two.

Person A, let’s call her Jenny, was from Mumbai. Her parents were both highly placed in government. She lived in Malabar Hills and went to one of the best schools in town. While doing her MBA, she spent 6 months in Paris as part of exchange program. She was bright, had good thinking and design skills (critical for the role) and was outgoing.

Person B, let’s call her Anita, was from a village 100 kms away from Patna. She did very well in her village school. On recommendation of the school principal, Anita’s parents moved her to a school in Patna in class IX. She was studying in English for the first time. Her grades suffered temporary, however she completed schooling with flying colors. While her friends at village were getting married, she moved to Mumbai to complete post-graduation in social sciences. She picked a job in MNC and was good at her work. She was shy and when she spoke, her accent was laced with heartland Hindi.

I went to my manager for guidance. His response was unambiguous – “Offer the role to Anita, look at the distance she has travelled.”

As I read Hidden Potential by Adam Grant last week, I recalled this example.

Many a times, we tend to assess a person based on his or her current position. However, it’s critical to check the distance covered by the person. It’s an indication of their discipline, grit, adaptability and learning agility – the MUST HAVE for success in any role.

Have you seen people traverse great distance? How do they stand apart?