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Q: Have you ever figured out how people with a reputation for being difficult, high strung and generally egomaniac move up the ladder? Some, I realise, have highly specialised and difficult-to-obtain skills, but others?

A: It's because those same personality traits can frequently serve you well in business - even as they make someone unpleasant to work with.

Are these "difficult" people skilled negotiators on behalf of the company? Do they take on high-profile - and high-earning - legal cases that no one else in their right mind would tackle? Do they win deep price concessions from vendors? Do they post the top sales numbers month after month? Do they motivate the people they supervise to succeed? (Yep, it counts even if they motivate through fear and anxiety, not loyalty.) Are they unsentimental enough to make the tough decisions? If the answers to these or similar questions are yes, you have your answer.

Q:  I am searching for jobs outside of the organisation. Is this okay?

A: Applying for a job is not a commitment to take it. So you are free to continue your search outside the company. You can even go on interviews with outside suitors, guilt-free. It's not as if you are guaranteed the internal job, and there's no reason to put your search on hold. Be cautious, however, in accepting an offer inside the company if you don't really want to stay.