Working for a boss that challenges you and trying to live up to it

My last meeting with the Boss at HITEC (big Hospitality tradeshow), he asked me what I learned. I couldn't give him a succinct answer and blurted out something like "it's all about relationships and it's stupid." OMG...can I use the excuse that english is not my first language? He does this frequently and I'm always unprepared and need to come back to him later with my answer. Work faster, brain!

Coming up with snappy, high level observations and insights is definitely something I need to work on. I need to process information faster and I'm better at writing than talking. In a group environment, I like listening much more than talking because most people have good stories and I don't have or don't want to share them. The only thing I like to talk about is work. I worry that makes me a boring person but work means interesting and SOLVABLE problems. It makes me happy to think about instead of how much I miss my grandma and whether I should try to pursue a romantic relationship again.

I like that the Boss gives me an seemingly endless variety of things to do. Things that I never thought about doing or thought I'm not qualified to do... he just tells me to do it. Now I see myself as a leader of the project team and whatever I feel is beneficial and necessary for the project, from social marketing to educating how this market works, I am not going to beat myself up about "should or should not", I'm just going to do it and do it well so people believe in what I say.

The answer to another direct question from the Boss is: I am happy at my job.

Source: Mad Men S4E8 - The Suitcase

Don Draper, another challenging boss. 

My boss isn't as scary as Don in this scene, thankfully.