evidence: What I discovered, during hundreds of hours of discussions with business leaders, is that CEOs reach out to individuals from a startlingly wide range of backgrounds and professions. The advisors they find, however—whether they are a church minister, Lazard Freres partner, or Wall Street lawyer—all share the same special qualities. As Paul Baszucki, CEO of Norstan put it, "In the end it’s not the category but the qualities of the particular person." Here are four of the most important characteristics to look for: [...] How little things have changed. Sixty years ago, Wendell Wilkie asked President Franklin Roosevelt why he relied so much on Harry Hopkins, his most trusted advisor. Roosevelt replied, ""Someday you may well be sitting here where I am now as president of the United States. And when you are, you’ll be looking at that door over there and knowing that practically everybody who walks through it wants something out of you. You’ll learn what a lonely job this is and discover the need for somebody like Harry Hopkins who asks for nothing except to serve you." [...] Other CEOs used similar language to describe their most valued advisors: "He gives me a global view"; "She provides additional perspective and helps me to reconceptualize the problem"; "He brings big picture thinking to the discussion."; and, "They help me consistently focus on the important, strategic issues."