How to get ahead in business

Or "Things my children teach me  #1"

So my eldest son was telling me how he once got a job based solely on his answer to one question...

“Which person would you most see as a role model that you would want to be like?”

“Fictional or non-fictional?” he asked.

“Either” was the reply.

After a little thought he confidently gave his winning answer “Jean-Luc Picard and the actor Patrick Stewart”. And what a worthy answer too. Picard is a man who commands respect and wields authority, acts with intellect and compassion, strives for excellence and humanity. Stewart has reached the top of his profession through hard graft and talent, while also then using his hard won celebrity to support philanthropic work, campaigning for women’s rights and highlighting the problem of domestic violence. Fictional and non-fictional displays of strength and humility.

I thought for a little while about how I would have answered the same question. The only name that sprang to mind was Jo Brand. She made a very successful career in a virtually all male environment. She has responded to change by diversifying from stand-up into acting, writing and light entertainment on radio and television. All done with an uncompromising style and maintaining a healthy, happy family life. But is that what an interview panel would see? Or would they turn me down for the job afraid that I’d voice everyone’s opinion of the CEO by telling him to his face “Well you’re a bit of a wanker aren’t you!”