The Curiosity Advantage
The Power of Three (3)
Being an avid technology buff, I’m fascinated by the power of the basic building block, the atom, made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Being wellness-focused, I’m committed to the power of the whole person: the mind, the body, and the soul. Being a die-hard sports fan, I love the power of the sound at the start of a race: ready, set, and go, and the end of a tennis contest: game, set, and match.
Perhaps you have concluded, whether devised by me or naturally occurring, that my favorite number is three for many reasons. It is my lucky number and has been central in my life in several interesting ways, as a kid/student, a professional, and a family person, allowing me to maintain my obsession and curiosity about it. Given my love for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), I really appreciate the fact that three is a prime number, meaning it cannot be divided by any number except the number one and itself. Over the years, I have disciplined myself to use it in most things because, to me, it helps with conciseness and represents the optimal number of things people can focus on. It shows up in my life as purely three, a multiple of three, and a few other ways, which I outline in my book, Curiosity Redefines the Limits.
Speaking of my book, it also turned out to be a good example of the unplanned appearance of three. I finished writing it in March 2025 before securing an agreement with a publisher, and although pre-ordering began in November, it will be officially released in March 2026. The intriguing observation here is that March is the third month of the year. So how did this happen? I don’t know, but given my obsession, you will see that the book covers three topics: the advantages gained from life experience, the workplace, and the boardroom. It has six chapters, three sections per chapter, and it delves into three IBM big bets, three innovation cycles, three operating principles, fifteen defining moments, three habits, three risks, three stages of the career cycle, three career cycle phases, nine career cycle roles, and finally, three post-career profiles.
Curiosity Redefines the Limits is a powerful and deeply personal exploration of how curiosity can become a competitive advantage that I call “The Curiosity Advantage.” Through the lens of my journey, from a curious child to a pioneering leader in the workplace and an influential director in the boardroom, I offer tips and techniques to think about a range of topics. The book is part memoir and part leadership guide, revealing how a curiosity advantage can unlock opportunities for personal growth, career development, leadership, and lifelong learning in a world of continuous innovation.
Rodney C. Adkins (Rod)
Author
Curiosity Redefines the Limits
Wow. Thank you. I look forward to learning from your life experience, and embracing the power of three.
LaShanya, good hearing from you, and thank you. I hope you enjoy my journey because it has been an interesting one, and the future feels more exciting. There is magic for me with #3. I trust all is well.
Rod – thank you for your message and invitation to secure your book. I just pre-ordered it and look forward to reading it. The story of a kid from Miami who started his career at Georgia Tech in 1981. I like it already! Cheers, Al
Al, thanks for the support, and good hearing from you. I decided to write the book with much encouragement from my network of mentors. I’m beginning to appreciate taking on this effort. See you soon.
Rod, this is very exciting! What a wonderful sense of lifetime continuity which now will be enjoyed by so many… Thanks for sending this along and congratulations!
George, yes, exciting times and a new journey. Good hearing from you, and thanks for the support.
I love this Rod! thank you for leadership and your wisdom and most of all that you do for community. I look forward to reading your new book in depth.
Tina Brown
CEO|Mourning Family Foundation|OYC Miami|Honey Shine, Inc.
Tina, thank you, and it’s always great hearing from you. Also, thanks for your contributions to the book! See you soon …
Rod – just ordered a copy of the book and can’t wait to delve further into your insights on “The Power of Three (3)”. I too embrace the magic of this number in many facets of my life. Thank you for your inspiration and words of wisdom.
Wayne, thanks for the support, and I’m sure we will have many opportunities to discuss the book’s topics. Talk soon.
Looking forward to reading the book, Rod. Congratulations on your many achievements!
Brenda, thank you, and good hearing from you. This has been a great journey, and more to come.
Rod,
That is really pretty cool…..3. I had not thought of it that way, on many fronts, but makes total sense. Another one, in his Biography, that use three, was Gayle Sayers….in his book, “i am third”……I believe it was, God/Faith, Family, Me. pretty cool…not sure if you happened to know that fun fact. Good luck, off to a great start.
Phil, good hearing from you, and thank you. Now that’s a great story you have pointed out, and one of the all-time greats. The number three is such a great number and pretty cool to talk about. Thanks for taking the time to engage and Go Avnet!
Brother Adkins,
Thank you for sharing this. I’m excited to read your book and your lessons about the number 3.
Carlton Lewis
Lambda Delta
Spr.91 #12
Brother Lewis, good hearing from you, and the power of 3 is just many examples of life and career I cover in the book. Thanks for the interest, and I’ll see you soon. #12 is divisible by 3!
Rod, you were an impeccable mentor at Big Blue. I eagerly look forward to this read. I’m also curious of your application of “3” to the game of ⛳ and as an avid golfer yourself. I hope at some point, you, myself, Julius and Elmer can hit the links. Be well my friend.
Devon, great hearing from you, and thank you for the compliments and the support. On golf, so far, the application of “3” has been a multiple of “3”. Yes, that would be a great round with the three of you. I hope to see you in this new year!
Rod,
I am very much looking forward to reading your book. Having had the privilege of learning from you during my time as your EA at IBM—and benefiting from your mentorship throughout my career—I have no doubt that this book will be immensely valuable to readers at every stage of their professional journey. I’m so glad you chose to capture your experiences across both the workplace and the boardroom, and to share the lessons of a leader who has positively impacted thousands of people along the way.
Hina, as always, great hearing from you. Hopefully, we will catch up soon. This book process has been a fascinating journey so far, and I’m sure it will get even more interesting throughout the year. Yes, we had a good run together at IBM, and the most gratifying aspect is the positive impact I had on others’ lives and careers.
Rod,
I just ordered your book and I look forward to reading it.
Jim hurley
James, thank you for the support, and I trust all is well. I covered a lot of ground, trust you will find something useful during your read.
Rod, I look forward to reading your book and am eager to see the views you have of the arc of technology and innovation over your career. Reflection can give us more insight and sometimes different views than we have while in the midst of the battle. Our careers have been during an incredible period of change, not only in technologies, but also culturally. Thank you for going through the tedious and sometimes painful process of writing and revising your book and sharing your views with us.
Ron, it is always good to hear from you, and I trust all is well. I must admit this was a challenging process because, fortunately, there was much to share, and you are faced with making priorities, as with everything else we deal with in life. The book has multiple personalities, a bit about me and my journey, but more importantly, what was learnt that can be shared. Thanks for being a great colleague over the years, and thanks for your support.
Rod,
I look forward to reading your book. As I was part of your journey at IBM I am curious to find out if I actually lived through some of the lessons and experiences you share in your book. You were always a mentor and it seems that will continue with Curiosity Redefines the Limits. Stay curious.
Jan
Jan, good hearing from you, and I trust all is well. Writing a book was a very different experience for me. I now have a deep appreciation for the quote: “If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter.” It was so much to say, and the task was to figure out how to say it as efficiently as possible. Thank you and stay tuned!
Was reading a post from a mutual friend that suggested I come learn more about your blog and book. Curiosity brought me here and now I’m intrigued to read 📚 your 📖.
Looking forward to it.
Tyrrell, thank you for your comment, and I look forward to you reading the book. I will be curious to see what you think, and I am looking forward to hearing about it!
Greetings Rod,
Your thoughts have always been and remain invaluable. Shared and passed on. Greatly appreciated!
Mark, thanks for the support. The journey of writing a book was one of the most interesting experiences for me. I finally convinced myself to officially “document” my thoughts.
At last— words of wisdom in a book— can’t wait to read it! As your EA, I called your experiences “rodism’s”. Happy holidays!!
Lori, thank you, and good hearing from you. Yes, what you call “Rodism” is all there. Of course, I do mention my EAs! I trust that you and the family are well.
Congratulations on your book, Rod! It sounds like a future bestseller to me and am anxious to get my hands on a copy. Sending you and Michelle my love and best wishes for a successful book launch!
Debbie, I trust that you are doing well, and it is always great hearing from you. It’s been quite some time, and we need to catch up.
Look forward to reading your book!
Don, thank you, and see you soon.
I look forward to reading your book Rod! Glad you’re doing well.
Abraham, it’s good to hear from you, and I trust all is well. Thanks for the support!
Looking forward to what will certainly be a beneficial and insightful read.
—AG
Step, thanks for the compliments … what a journey so far. I trust all is well.
Hi Rod, I am intrigued to read your book because I am curious on how the number 3 shows up in your life. My number is 2 and share similar experiences on how the number makes its way into my life.
Calline, I trust all is well, my book explores the power of curiosity and it was intriguing to note how often this was a special number for me like your number 2.
Rod, I look forward to reading your book. Thanks for sharing!
Lydia, thank you and trust all is well!