Whisper it quietly, but the stars of your industry may not always have been one step ahead of the game. The idea that successful people enter their sector of choice armed with an innate understanding of its intricacies is a myth, according to today’s most promising young executives in European asset management.

Financial News asked those on this year's 40 Under 40 Rising Stars in Asset Management what they now know, years into their careers, that they wish they had known when starting out.