How Curiosity Becomes a Competitive Advantage with Rodney Adkins
On this episode of The Covert Code Podcast, I sat down with Rodney Adkins, former senior vice president at IBM; chairman of Avnet; engineer; philanthropist; and author of the Forbes bestselling book Curiosity Redefines the Limits.
What followed was one of the most thoughtful conversations I’ve had about curiosity, AI, innovation, leadership, and what it means to stay relevant during one of the fastest technological shifts in history.
Rodney’s perspective is especially powerful because he spent decades helping shape modern computing and emerging technologies. But despite all the technological advancement we discussed, one theme kept resurfacing throughout the conversation:
Human curiosity still matters.
If you’ve followed my work on The Covert Code for any amount of time, you know I believe the future belongs to leaders who stay adaptable, creative, and willing to evolve.
This conversation reinforced exactly that.
Curiosity Is the Fuel Behind Innovation
Rodney believes curiosity has always been the force behind human progress.
From solving survival challenges to developing artificial intelligence, supercomputers, and modern communication systems, curiosity has consistently driven humanity forward. According to Rodney, curiosity is not simply intelligence. It is the willingness to ask more profound questions.
Why?
How?
What if?
That mindset changes everything.
The people who continue exploring new ideas, challenging assumptions, and remaining open to change are often the ones who create the greatest innovation and long-term success.
That philosophy aligns closely with many of the leadership conversations we regularly explore on The Covert Code Podcast, especially around navigating uncertainty, entrepreneurship, and digital transformation.
Lifelong Learning Is No Longer Optional
One of the strongest themes throughout the episode was lifelong learning.
Rodney explained that we are living through a period of rapid industrial disruption where AI, automation, and emerging technologies are changing how work gets done at an unprecedented pace.
That means standing still is no longer safe.
Professionals at every level need to continue learning, experimenting, adapting, and building new skills. What I appreciated most was hearing Rodney explain that even after decades in technology leadership, he is still actively teaching himself new AI tools and development methods simply to stay mentally engaged and curious.
That mindset matters.
One thing I often discuss on AnnaCovert.com is that authority and expertise are no longer static. The leaders who remain relevant are usually the ones most willing to continue learning long after they become successful.
AI Is a Tool—Not a Replacement for Humanity
Naturally, we spent a lot of time discussing artificial intelligence.
While many people fear AI as a replacement for human creativity and thinking, Rodney sees it differently. He views AI as a companion and amplifier rather than a substitute for human potential.
AI can process information faster. It can help organize ideas, improve productivity, and accelerate workflows. But humans still bring emotional intelligence, judgment, empathy, creativity, imagination, and relationship-building into the process.
That distinction is critical.
As someone deeply involved in digital marketing and AI strategy, I found this part of the conversation especially refreshing. The technology is evolving rapidly, but creativity is not disappearing. In many ways, creative possibilities are becoming more limitless than ever.
If anything, AI is forcing people to become more intentional about the value only humans can provide.
The Danger of Losing Critical Thinking
At the same time, Rodney shared an important warning.
As society becomes increasingly dependent on AI systems and automated answers, there is a risk that people stop exercising critical thinking skills altogether.
Curiosity becomes part of the solution.
Curious people continue asking questions. They verify information. They explore multiple perspectives instead of blindly accepting the first answer presented to them.
That skill may become one of the most valuable differentiators in the next generation of leadership.
This is something I think businesses, schools, and even marketers need to pay attention to moving forward.
Responsible AI Requires Human Oversight
One particularly fascinating moment was hearing Rodney discuss the philosophy behind IBM Watson.
Instead of simply producing one “perfect” answer, Watson was designed to present multiple ranked answers with confidence levels while still keeping humans involved in the decision-making process.
That philosophy feels increasingly relevant today.
As AI becomes more powerful, trust and transparency will be increasingly important. Understanding where information comes from, how conclusions are formed, and when human judgment should intervene will become critical.
The future is not humans versus AI.
The future is humans working intelligently alongside AI.
Curiosity Is the Real Competitive Advantage
Toward the end of the conversation, Rodney explained why he titled his book Curiosity Redefines the Limits.
For him, curiosity continuously expanded what was possible throughout his career and life. It allowed him to innovate, grow professionally, improve his quality of life, and eventually use his success to mentor others and contribute philanthropically.
That perspective made this conversation feel much bigger than technology alone.
Curiosity is not just about innovation.
It is about growth.
Contribution.
Imagination.
Adaptability.
And continuously expanding what you believe is possible.
In a world changing so quickly, that mindset may become one of the greatest competitive advantages anyone can develop.
Listen to the Full Episode
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Transcript: Brand Reinvention with Terri Eagle
Episode: Authority as a Growth Strategy – A Forbes Books Series Presented by The Covert Code
Host: Anna Covert
Guest: Terri Eagle
Anna Covert [00:00:03]: Aloha. My name is Anna Covert, and I'm coming to you from my battleship here on the beautiful island of Oahu.
Anna Covert [00:00:08]: This week on The Covert Code, the topic is brand reinvention. My very special guest is Terri Eagle, a Forbes author, sought-after public speaker, CEO, and founder of Terri Eagle Group, a consulting and business advisory firm helping companies scale and navigate major transitions.
Anna Covert [00:00:21]: Terri is best known as a reinvention artist and has been a pivotal part of the transformation of many iconic brands. She also recently launched her Forbes bestselling book, The Champagne CEO.
Terri Eagle [00:01:01]: Thank you very much, Anna. And congratulations to you on your podcast growth and your bestselling book as well.
Anna Covert [00:01:32]: To kick us off, I’d love the Cliff Notes version of the Terri story. How did you get from where you were to where you are today?
Terri Eagle [00:01:44]: I was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, and from a very young age I was always goal-oriented. I loved winning, leading, and achieving. I was fortunate to have incredible mentors throughout my career, starting with Jennifer Last at L’Oréal.
Terri Eagle [00:02:11]: She actually would not hire me into outside sales until I got outside sales experience first. So I went to work for Russ Berrie, the toy company, and learned how to sell. That experience changed everything for me.
Terri Eagle [00:05:08]: Eventually I returned to L’Oréal, then later moved into luxury brands including Montblanc, David Yurman, Schumacher, and Morilee. Every step taught me something different about leadership, reinvention, scaling businesses, and team culture.
Anna Covert [00:12:26]: During COVID, you launched your own consulting business, Terri Eagle Group. Tell me about that transition.
Terri Eagle [00:12:28]: I had been thinking about helping more than one company at a time. After my book launched, I decided to fully step into consulting, advising, and helping founders, family-led businesses, private equity firms, and organizations going through transition.
Terri Eagle [00:14:31]: I approach it almost like a blueprint. I go into the company, evaluate what’s needed, and help create a roadmap over about six months so there’s a clear direction and measurable progress.
Anna Covert [00:15:06]: I love that because in consulting, especially technology consulting, it’s important to have an end goal instead of endless ongoing projects.
Terri Eagle [00:16:03]: Exactly. I love being hands-on with teams. I’m not someone who just observes from the sidelines. I want to do the work with the founders and teams because I genuinely enjoy it.
Anna Covert [00:16:45]: Let’s talk about your book. When did you decide it was time to write one?
Terri Eagle [00:16:55]: Honestly, at first I thought the Forbes Books outreach was a scam. But eventually I realized it was real, and they asked me to create an outline. I started thinking about what would have helped me throughout my career and built the book around those lessons.
Terri Eagle [00:19:00]: I wanted the book to feel like a fireside conversation, sharing the wins, the challenges, the lessons, and the importance of courage, confidence, and collaboration.
Anna Covert [00:22:03]: I saw your Times Square billboard announcement for the book. How did that feel?
Terri Eagle [00:22:16]: It was surreal. I was incredibly proud. And what meant the most was seeing former team members and leadership teams from different companies show up for the launch event.
Anna Covert [00:23:04]: What changes are you seeing right now for CEOs and leadership teams in this market?
Terri Eagle [00:24:36]: CEOs need to get closer to their teams than ever before. Communication matters. Teamship matters. Leaders should not assume people know what they want or how they’re feeling.
Terri Eagle [00:25:56]: I also strongly believe networking matters. Get out there. Meet people. Don’t rely only on online applications. Relationships still matter tremendously.
Anna Covert [00:30:32]: What are you most excited about moving forward?
Terri Eagle [00:30:38]: I’m loving working with such an eclectic mix of clients. I’m especially excited about continuing to work in merger and acquisition strategy and helping businesses through transition and reinvention.
Anna Covert [00:32:27]: How do you define reinvention?
Terri Eagle [00:32:35]: Reinvention is being willing to change, stay curious, and continue learning. So many people have more inside them than they realize. Reinvention is about giving yourself permission to evolve.
Anna Covert [00:35:14]: A lot of people fear reinvention because they worry it will alienate existing customers or teams.
Terri Eagle [00:35:14]: Change is essential to growth. The companies and people who embrace change succeed faster. Every new industry or role requires learning the landscape and understanding the heartbeat of the business.
Anna Covert [00:39:17]: What’s next for you?
Terri Eagle [00:39:17]: I’m really enjoying speaking engagements, roundtables, and mentoring. I love helping people use their voice more confidently in leadership and business.
Anna Covert [00:42:37]: One major takeaway from this conversation is simply: just ask.
Terri Eagle [00:43:44]: Exactly. Don’t be afraid to share your accomplishments or ask for opportunities. Everyone has a legacy, and people should lean into the value they’ve created.
Anna Covert [00:45:23]: Thank you so much for joining me today, Terri.
Terri Eagle [00:45:33]: Thank you, Anna. It’s been such a pleasure.
Anna Covert [00:46:27]: Thank you everyone for joining us this week on The Covert Code. I’ll see you next week in the pixels. Aloha!
