"In 2025, I interviewed around 80 executives, including more than 30 leaders at Fortune 500 companies, and roughly 20 CEOs or founders. They ranged from the heads of consumer-coveted brands like Whoop and Olipop, to the CEO behind CorePower Yoga, and senior leaders at major tech companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon. After speaking with leaders across various industries and company sizes, I can't say I discovered the blueprint for success. However, I did notice similar themes and patterns that kept popping up in our conversations."
"A straight path to the C-suite was the exception, not the rule, among the executives I spoke with. Even those who started with Ivy League credentials experienced some twists or setbacks along the way. Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel, for example, told Business Insider that after losing his job in investment banking, he remained unemployed for two yearsand wrote a novel."
About 80 executives were interviewed in 2025, including more than 30 at Fortune 500 companies and roughly 20 CEOs or founders. Participants included leaders from consumer brands, fitness and wellness, and major tech companies such as Google, Microsoft, and Amazon. Common patterns among top leaders included non-traditional career paths, episodes of setback or detours, disciplined daily routines, and histories of bold, decisive behavior. Many examples show career pivots from teaching, reception work, life sciences, or leaving school early. No single blueprint for success emerged, but recurring themes of resilience, unconventional experience, and consistent discipline appeared across leaders.
Read at Business Insider
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