Inspired Leadership. Gaskell Kevin

I did six interviews in a day, and every time I got in the lift it went up, so I thought, “As long as this keeps going up I'm doing all right.” Eventually the lift went all the way to the top: the last interview of the day was in the office of Bernd Pischetsrieder, BMW's chairman. His office was a curved room and so large that, at first, I only realized he was there from the clouds of cigar smoke that snaked round the corner.

      We shook hands. “Welcome to BMW,” he said.

      At that point, no one had yet asked me what I intended to do. Looking back, they assumed that I would do what they wanted me to do. After all, when you join, you know nothing. But, if you dream, you can't stop yourself from breaking the rules.