The One Essential

What you must have to be successful…

We’re in a world now where it’s not enough to be smart. You have to be curious. Curiousity is rare. That level of intelligence is rare. Probably the further up in a business you are, the less intelligent you need to be. At the entry stage, the sieve grows ever tighter and education can only do so much. The truth is, we don’t manufacture that many really smart people.” 

That’s a quote from Barry Diller and I couldn’t agree more.

Companies today do all sorts of testing before they hire someone: personality tests, problem-solving tests, drug tests — well, not so much in Colorado anymore, but you know what I’m saying.

Unfortunately, there is no test for curiousity, and too often the more curious an employee, the less likely they are to thrive inside any organization, especially broadcast media.

If you run a station, you can change that, perhaps not company-wide, but within your own smaller world.

I don’t know if curiousity can be taught. I don’t know if that child-like wonder most of us start out with can be re-ignited if that flame has been extinguished for years.

But it’s worth the effort.

Climb out of your comfort box, even if only for a few minutes.

Expand. Question. Learn.

See where it leads, and then repeat.

It leads to wonder and freshness, and delight.