There are literally thousands of business and self-help books written each year, all promising a magic key that will unlock the secret to success in the corporate world.
The problem is that’s an awfully big ring filled with keys. So, one writer has tried to narrow it down to just one magic trait to identify the path to success.
Adam Bryant is an American leadership development expert who has a book on the topic coming out next year through Harvard.
He’s interviewed hundreds of CEOs – from leaders of big companies to not-for profits from every age group, ethnic background and gender.
Bryant calls the attribute all successful CEOs exhibit applied curiosity. In simple terms, it is an innate desire to figure out how everything works and then relentlessly look for ways to improve those processes.
Writing on the thought leadership website Strategy + Business, he says these leaders constantly question, probe and then process this knowledge for patterns and insights.
He notes that being blessed with this characteristic is not a guarantee of becoming the CEO of a major company but thinking like a CEO will advance your career.
