Developing the next generation of leaders

Purpose – Across companies, and even the public sector, there is a looming challenge as baby boomers and many current leaders retire. This is the challenge of developing the next generation of leadership ‐ not just at the CEO level, but in the various functions of the organization. Design/methodology/approach – For this study, fifteen leading CFOs were interviewed, asking them to describe their journeys to leadership. Findings – While the research was based on interviews of CFOs, the findings could pertain to many leadership roles in companies. Originality/value – The research found there were five key traits to leaders: curiosity, courage, perseverance, personal ethics, and confidence. Of these five traits, what was surprising was the consistent importance of curiosity as a valued trait among nearly all the CFO participants.