The surprising secret to selling yourself

Whether applying for a new job or going for a promotion, the advice is always the same: highlight your achievements. But researchers from Stanford and Harvard Business School have found a bias toward hiring, promoting or doing business with a person based on their potential for success over their actual success. In one study, participants were asked to hire someone with experience or someone who tested well as a leader. The participants agreed the candidate with experience had the more impressive resume, but they still chose the natural leader. What is it that makes our brains choose the risky, irrational option?