In a recent article in Inc, Maria Haggerty concludes that the single most important quality to look for in individuals who may be, or are, high performers are:
- long-term commitment to a specific domain: This describes a person who is committed to making an increasing difference to one domain over a sustained period of time.
- questing disposition: When confronted with a challenge, this person becomes excited and wants to pursue that challenge, seeing it as an opportunity to reach the next level of performance.
- connecting disposition: A person whose instinct, when confronted with a challenge, is to actively reach out and connect with others who can help address it together.
I look at that list and think: that sounds like you are describing a researcher, or at least a research mindset.