It’s resilience.

Yesterday, we discussed the idea of tapping into a wide network of talented individuals who are miserable in their jobs.

That’s a great idea, but according to Ephrat Livni, a columnist for Quartz, not all high-performers are equal.

This is especially true when someone attempts to make a transition from a stable corporate environment to the rough and tumble world of real estate.

The theory here is that getting pushed around by life forces you to [become resilient]. 

Those who aren’t stars in youth and who don’t land the plum jobs early on, have to cast about for direction and meaning.

When they find their way, they’ve already trained in the mental habits of managing difficulty and reframing expectations.

The early achievers, by contrast, find later in life that not everything can go right. They take this hard because they have little practice managing struggle.

If you have to choose between two seemingly high-performing individuals, select the one who had to struggle more to realize their achievements.

During screening calls and interviews, ask questions that would help you discover if a person has had setbacks, overcame difficulties, and demonstrated resilience.

For someone moving into a new career field, this is one of the most important predictors of a successful transition.