Any one can hold the helm when the sea is calm.

Competence shows up in bad conditions, not in good ones. Anybody looks capable when nothing is going wrong, and the differences between people only become visible when the situation turns and decisions have to be made without enough information. That is worth remembering when judging others and when judging yourself.

Draw no conclusions about someone from an easy season, including a smooth interview or a good quarter. If you want to know, look at what they did in a bad one. And use your own calm periods to prepare, since that is what makes the rough ones survivable.