Julia was determined to succeed. To reach the very top. At any cost? She did not yet know that a major test awaited her.
Things were going well for Julia. For nearly five years, she had been heading a high-performing division of the company and was a member of the executive team. She enjoyed her demanding work just as much as she appreciated her colleagues. Especially Peter, the founder and CEO, who was both a mentor and a boss to her. He entrusted her with complex tasks, showed confidence in her, and supported her—without being any less demanding than with the other executives.
When Peter announced that he would step down from his CEO role, Julia was surprised to find herself on the shortlist for his successor. Some of her colleagues had been with the company longer and held positions such as CFO or COO — roles which seemed more naturally suited to the succession.
Half-hearted attempts or impulsive actions weren’t Julia’s style. She took time to reflect, spoke with her family and close friends, and eventually decided to enter the assessment process.
Peter was transparent from the beginning. He invited all three internal candidates to his office, explained the assessment process, the ground rules, and what was expected in the months to come—and left plenty of space for questions. At the end of the meeting, he handed each of them an apple seed and a pot filled with soil. The task: plant the seed and present the result in six months. While the candidates were used to Peter’s creative approaches, this assignment raised a few eyebrows.
Four weeks later, Julia’s pot still showed no signs of life. “I’ve always been fairly good at gardening,” she thought. But however much she cared for the seed, nothing grew. She sensed that the task held greater significance than appeared at first glance. “Peter knows exactly what he is doing,” she told herself. She wrestled with the temptation to go to the garden center and buy a small sapling to keep up with her two colleagues. Torn for weeks, she resisted the urge.
Six months later, three pots stood in the boardroom: two with small but strong trees. Julia’s pot looked desolate. Nothing but dark soil. Her fellow candidates cast her pitying glances. Julia felt deeply embarrassed and wished she could disappear into the ground.
When Peter entered the room and opened the meeting, he praised the other candidates: “To nurture, to devote oneself, and to encourage growth — this is the most important duty of a CEO. You should be proud of what you have achieved.” He looked each of them in the eye. Julia blushed.
Then Peter continued: “Just as important, however, is standing your ground, staying true to yourself, not bending, not breaking. I had all the seeds treated so they could not sprout. It was impossible for anything to grow from them.”
He let a pause fall over the room.
“It seems not everyone was completely honest with themselves.”
Julia felt the weight of her shame lift. She had passed the hardest test — the test against herself.
Warm regards,
Ralph Hubacher
