“We were also surprised to learn that virtually all CEO candidates had made material mistakes in the past, and 45% of them had had at least one major career blowup that ended a job or was extremely costly to the business. Yet more than 78% of that subgroup of candidates ultimately won the top job. In addition, we found that educational pedigree (or lack thereof) in no way correlated to performance.” The Harvard Business Review on What Sets Successful CEOs Apart. (Or, how bad grades and a terrible track record are signs you’re on the path to greatness.)