It is not fit the public trusts should be lodged in the hands of any, till they are first proved and found fit for the business they are to be entrusted with.

Responsibility should follow demonstrated competence rather than confidence, seniority, or the fact that someone is available. Most bad appointments happen because nobody arranged a small test first: the person sounded right, was next in line, or wanted it badly. Proof is cheap to gather beforehand and expensive to gather afterwards.

Before handing anyone something important, including yourself, find a smaller version of it to do first. A pilot, a trial month, one account rather than the region. If someone resents being asked to demonstrate it, that is itself part of the answer.