Ask a CEO how he or she rose to the top, and they’ll typically cite a litany of past upper level executive management roles, with a clear strategy to get there. But when you ask Al Grasso of The MITRE Corporation about his personal success, and what forces propelled him to the president and CEO role, he cites something very different.
In a conversation that I had with Grasso in August, he shared his modest approach to leadership and his career, which includes a strong commitment to hard work, a belief in the STEM field and mentoring and a purpose-driven, value-centered vision.