Cristina Mancini has been rising the ranks in corporate America for decades, and knows a thing or two about career success.
Mancini started her career at 20th Century Studios (formerly 20th Century Fox) in 2004 working in television distribution. She left in 2018 as an executive vice president and joined Salesforce, where she spent more than five years and climbed to the rank of chief engagement officer. As of 2023, she’s CEO of nonprofit Black Girls Code.
For Mancini, there’s one trait workers need for success: “Curiosity,” she told CNBC Make It at the Fast Company Innovation Festival.
Here’s why.
You must ‘continue to evolve’
Tech like AI moves fast, and is already taking over jobs in auto, retail and banking.
“Things are changing quicker than you can catch up,” said Mancini. That’s why curiosity is key: It inspires you to learn “so that you can continue to evolve” and be constantly in the know of where your company and field are headed, she said. That can also help ensure you learn new skills and stay relevant.
It’s a trait billionaire entrepreneur Bill Gates stands behind, too. “I put a lot of energy into trying to learn things,” he previously told CNBC Make It.
“I hate when they say ‘life-long learner,'” said Mancini. “I hate it, but it’s true.”
‘I read everything’
Mancini indulges her curiosity mainly through reading.
“I read everything,” she said. “If you tell me a book, I’m going to go home and read it.” She’s constantly taking in new information and is hungry for more.
She also has people around her send her articles and ideas, and she does the same for them. She encourages workers to stay curious not just about their industry, but about related industries, too.
Workers should “especially understand what is happening in the technology field,” she said, “as every industry is becoming a technology industry.”
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