Elena L. Botelho and Kim R. Powell overturn the myths about what it takes to get to the top and succeed.

These findings are based on the research of The CEO Genome®, an in-depth analysis of ghSMART’s database including a sample of over 2,600 leaders drawn from a data set of 17,000 CEOs and C-suite executive assessments, 13,000 hours of interviews, and two decades advising CEOs and executive boards.

Botelho and Powell’s groundbreaking research, the featured cover story in the May-June 2017 Harvard Business Review, reveals the common attributes and counterintuitive choices that set apart successful CEOs. They draw out lessons that we can apply to our own careers, no matter where we are and where we strive to get to.