Executive Hunter McMahon Releases 'The 5-Year-Old CEO' to Help Leaders Rediscover Childlike Curiosity
TL;DR
Hunter McMahon's book The 5-Year-Old CEO gives leaders an edge by using childlike curiosity to build innovative, resilient teams that outperform in competitive business environments.
The 5-Year-Old CEO outlines seven leadership principles through storytelling and research, teaching systematic approaches to questioning, listening, and collaborative problem-solving.
This book helps leaders cultivate empathy and compassion, creating more humane workplaces where teams thrive together in our increasingly automated world.
Hunter McMahon explores how adopting a five-year-old's perspective through fictional character Eric can unexpectedly transform leadership approaches with fresh creativity.
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Author and executive Hunter McMahon has released his new book "The 5-Year-Old CEO," which explores how childlike curiosity can unlock innovation and resilience in today's business environment. McMahon, a seasoned executive in legal technology and professional services who leads expert teams through high-stakes matters, draws from his experience delivering the TEDx Talk "Caffeinated with Curiosity" to present a fresh perspective on leadership development.
The book arrives at a critical time when artificial intelligence is transforming workplaces, making human qualities like curiosity, empathy, and imagination increasingly valuable. McMahon argues that these childlike traits, which often erode over time, have become indispensable for navigating an AI-driven world. Through the fictional character Eric, a five-year-old navigating kindergarten experiences, the book delivers seven powerful leadership principles grounded in storytelling, research, and real-world examples.
Readers will learn practical strategies for asking better questions, listening with purpose, challenging assumptions, leading collaboratively, resolving conflict, embracing change, and mentoring others. The approach is designed to help leaders at all levels, from senior executives to rising managers, lead with more humanity in an increasingly automated environment. McMahon emphasizes that these skills can help create teams that are innovative, resilient, and deeply engaged.
The timing of this release is significant as organizations worldwide grapple with how to maintain human-centric leadership while integrating artificial intelligence into business operations. McMahon's perspective challenges conventional leadership development by suggesting that the qualities we often outgrow as adults may be exactly what modern leadership requires. The book has already received positive reviews from readers across the United States, indicating resonance with current leadership challenges.
McMahon, who is also a husband and father of four, notes that leadership is not merely a title but an action taken. He stresses that asking authentic questions and responding with compassion can help build teams that thrive together. The book is published through Lucid Books, an independent hybrid publisher in the Houston area that combines traditional publishing connections with author involvement. As businesses continue to adapt to technological changes, McMahon's work offers a timely framework for developing the human skills that will differentiate successful leaders in the coming years.
Curated from 24-7 Press Release

