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Most people think of Albert Einstein is the greatest scientist of the 20th century,

but they're unaware of the fatal flaw that ultimately undermined his achievements

and it can undermine yours too if you're not careful. But let's

go back to the beginning. In 1905 while working in a German office, Einstein came up with a new explanation for how

light traveled, a discovery that eventually landed him a Nobel Prize in physics.

That same year, he also published his theory of special relativity and his famous formula E equals

M.C. squared. And that wasn't all. In just several months, says science writer David Badonis, the unknown Einstein had published several

of the most significant papers in the history of science, and it was only 26 years old. So yes, Einstein was one of the leading scientists of the 20th century,

but that's not the full story. In his book, Einstein's greatest mistake, Badonis reminds us of his downfall.

In his final decades, Einstein was largely ignored by fellow scientists.

One colleague described him as a landmark, but not a beacon. In other words he was recognized for his past

achievements but he failed to attract new interest in his work. I am generally

regarded as a petrified object, he wrote to a friend. In short, Einstein's career

had stagnated, and it happens to leaders all the time. What's the solution?

Effective leadership involves a commitment to personal growth and development.

Writing about this for Harvard Business Review, Kenneth Mikkelson and Harold Jarkey say

leaders must get comfortable with living in a state of continually becoming, a perpetual beta mode, leaders that stay on top do so by

being receptive and able to learn.

Well, what prevents us from learning? Thinking we know enough already. One person I know

puts it this way, knowledge is the enemy of learning. Listen to the statement from one of Einstein's professors back when he was an undergrad in Zurich.

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