Anyone who is always looking to learn something new benefits from being curious and informed. Members of your c-level staff especially benefit from a wealth of influences, according to an article by Stanislav Shekshina for INSEAD.
He references the findings of a recent study by that company, which discovered that knowledge was an important factor in a CEO, based on the opinions of other CEOs. However, there were different kinds of knowledge and intelligence that were equally valued.
These three different categories include natural traits, formal education, and knowledge picked up while "on the job." Although these are all presented as separate, they influence each other in certain ways. For example, natural curiosity helps encourage the pursuit of formal training, and this training in turn leads to "learning by doing" in the chief executive role. Similarly, an incoming CEO with a formal education shows that they have experience in academic learning.
This is reinforced by a piece in the Gallup Business Journal by Dr. Sangeeta Bharadwaj Badal, which explored the importance of "seeking knowledge" for entrepreneurs. According to Badal, this applies to both information about the company and the world outside of it.
"Knowledge-Seekers assess and manage risk effectively," Badal writes. "Entrepreneurs have to make decisions in highly complex environments with incomplete information, which entails much risk. Your ability to collect and process a lot of information gives you a better understanding of your environment."
Both younger and established companies should turn to management recruitment professionals so they find a candidate who has a good balance of all of these types of knowledge and shows a genuine desire to constantly learn and improve.
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