The one attribute shared by Einstein, Da Vinci, Jobs, and Musk

Executive overview

Biographer Walter Isaacson studied history's most creative figures and distilled their shared edge to a single trait. It is not vision, drive, or intelligence — those are common. It is a relentless, intense, and almost indiscriminate curiosity.

The same trait applies directly to hiring: intense curiosity in an interview signals to candidates that you are genuinely tuned in, prompting them to open up and reveal more — including bad news.

Intense curiosity is a trainable attribute, not an innate talent.

What Isaacson found across every subject

• He built a matrix comparing attributes across Einstein, da Vinci, Jobs, and Musk
• Vision and big ideas were shared widely — not the differentiator
• The single standout trait: relentless, intense, near-random curiosity
• That curiosity was the engine behind their creativity

Applying curiosity in hiring

• Intense curiosity in an interviewer makes candidates feel genuinely heard
• Candidates open up more — including sharing unflattering information
• When bad news surfaces, respond with curiosity: "Tell me more. What happened next?"
• Curiosity can be observed and practised — watch your own eyes in a mirror

Building the habit

• Notice the difference in your eyes when you are curious versus self-focused
• Practice switching it on deliberately, even in low-stakes conversations
• Curiosity is the primary human advantage over AI-driven creativity