What Makes A Great CEO?
Strategy Skill Set and Operations Background are Critical to CEO Success, According to a Survey Conducted by TheLadders.com
NEW YORK, NY (January 29, 2009) - As corporate cutbacks and layoffs become the norm in the current economy, employees, now more than ever, depend on the strong leadership of their corporate chief to steer the company in the right direction. In this turbulent financial market, what does it take for a CEO to achieve success in the C-suite? According to a survey conducted by TheLadders.com, the world's leading online platform for the $100k+ job market, a majority of $100k+ job seekers feel Strategy is the most important skill set of a great CEO.
Following were some of the survey's key findings:
Strategy is Key
When asked what skill set or personality trait is most important in a CEO, a majority of executives in the $100k+ job market selected:
- Strategy - 33.6%
- Accountability - 23.0%
- Ethics - 22.7%
- Approachability - 8.5%
- Creativity - 6.5%
- Industry Expertise - 5.6%
Operational Excellence
Regarding the best background for a CEO to have in order to be successful, respondents answered:
- Operations - 36.8%
- Sales - 19.4%
- Marketing - 15.4%
- Accounting - 13.4%
- Human Resources - 6.7%
- Technology - 4.3%
- Academia - 2.0%
- Government - 1.0%
- Legal - 1.0%
The C-Suite is for Coaches
Among executive level job seekers, the archetype that best embodies the attributes that make a good CEO is:
- The Coach - 39.3%
- The Genius Visionary - 24.3%
- The Quarterback - 23.8%
- The Warrior - 4.0%
- The Maverick - 3.6%
- The Professor - 2.6%
- The Best Friend - 1.2%
- The Charmer - 0.7%
- The Swashbuckler - 0.6%
Executive level job seekers were also asked to weigh in on additional topics including how to measure a CEO's performance, compensation and which industry has the best CEOs. Key findings include:
- 28.3% said Creating a Corporate Culture is the most important criterion on which a CEO's performance should be evaluated. Coming in at a close second is Operational Excellence with 26.9%.
- 42.7% felt the industry with the best CEOs is Technology.
- 65.7% believe CEOs would be effective working in the government.
- 70% said performance-based pay packages are how senior executives should be compensated.
A total of 1,063 executives responded to the survey, which was conducted on TheLadders.com Web site between November, 2008 and December, 2008, with a margin of error of +/- 3.0%.