However, it is not self-evident that simply accumulating knowledge will translate into practical insights. It is important to nurture the ability to identify, as well as seize opportunities when encountered with them.
Tony Mayo, a prominent Professor at Harvard Business School, talks in a
Forbes article about three distinct characteristics he observed from looking at successful leaders in the 20th century. He ascribes their success to their ability to seize the opportunities they were presented with, as well as overcome the challenges they were confronted with during the industrial revolution.
He explains that those leaders who have led the industrial revolution generally fall under one of the following three roles.
The Entrepreneurs who create new industries and set the contextual landscape for the new business world. The
Managers who capitalize on opportunities of the current or emergent landscape and focus on growth and expansion through efficiency. And finally,
Leaders, who are able to revive and reinvent dying industries overlooked and dismissed by the mainstream as mature markets.