Results 1 to 18 of 18

Thread: Which CEO traits matter most ?

  1. #1
    Banned Eric Stoner's Avatar
    Joined
    Oct 2006
    Location
    NYC
    Posts
    5,150
    Thanks
    1,261
    Thanked 1,430 Times in 888 Posts

    Default Which CEO traits matter most ?

    Which of the following traits have been shown to make for a successful CEO ?
    Several recent studies have identified those characteristics and abilities most important for someone to be a successful CEO. The latest looked at 316 CEO's of Fortune 500 Companies. And success was measured solely by the profitability of the corporation led by these people. I'll list the traits and you folks can respond "True" or "False" as to whether it denotes a successful BUSINESS leader.

    1. Psychologically insightful.

    2. Humble

    3. Strong people skills

    4. Organizational skills

    5. A good listener

    6. Persistent

    7. A good team builder

    8. Efficient

    9. A good team player

    10. Analytically thorough

    11. Empathetic

    12. Able to work long hours

    13. Flexible

    14. Emotionally stable

    15. Personally warm

    16. Relentless

    17. Witty

    18. Methodical

    19. Charismatic

    20. Value oriented

    21. Well rounded
    Last edited by Eric Stoner; 05-20-2009 at 09:07 AM.

  2. #2
    Featured Member
    Joined
    Feb 2005
    Location
    whine country
    Posts
    812
    Thanks
    11
    Thanked 253 Times in 139 Posts

    Default Re: Which CEO traits matter most ?

    Where's "an unending loyalty to your cronies sitting on the Board"?

    That's more about job retention and golden parachutes and not profitability, I guess.

    How about 4, 6, 7, 10, 12, 16, 18

    All things warm fuzzy libs are not

  3. #3
    God/dess Paris's Avatar
    Joined
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Oregon
    Posts
    6,345
    Thanks
    168
    Thanked 801 Times in 419 Posts

    Default Re: Which CEO traits matter most ?

    I'd like to see more female CEO. Women are more likely to look at the long term outcomes, and make wiser choices due to this kind of thinking. The high risk behavior that is typical of the testosterone driven alpha-male has an awful lot to do with the current mess we are in.


    Promote yourself and earn more money! This is a business that is owned by strippers for strippers. Let's make that money!


  4. #4
    Banned Melonie's Avatar
    Joined
    Jul 2002
    Location
    way south of the border
    Posts
    25,932
    Thanks
    612
    Thanked 10,563 Times in 4,646 Posts
    Blog Entries
    3
    My Mood
    Cynical

    Default Re: Which CEO traits matter most ?

    and let us not forget ...

    - knows where federal / state / local politicians' 'skeletons' are buried

    - knows which lobbyists are 'owed the biggest favors' in Washington / state capital

    The tin foil hat crowd will tell you that the good old days are gone when it used to matter whether or not a company's leadership was effective, efficient, foresighted etc. Today what matters most is what sort of gov't perks the company can land ... from tax breaks to low interest loans to economic development grants to debt guarantees etc. ... that will enable the one company to have a lower cost structure than its competitors.

  5. #5
    Featured Member minnow's Avatar
    Joined
    Sep 2007
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    1,003
    Thanks
    242
    Thanked 519 Times in 315 Posts
    Blog Entries
    10
    My Mood
    Twisted

    Default Re: Which CEO traits matter most ?

    Offhand, I'd say that 6,7,12,13,16 would be true.

    My curiosity is piqued just a bit, I have a few ??'s:

    1) . Is a link to survey/results eventually forthcoming from ES?

    2). I'm curious who Eric Stoner, Mel, etal, would choose as the Top 3 corporate CEO's that would epitomize a successful CEO, and the "key traits" that contributed to that success.

    3). Lastly, having chosen those answers, would you want to work for those CEO's?? (Original pov is as an investor/shareholder, correct??)

  6. #6
    Banned Eric Stoner's Avatar
    Joined
    Oct 2006
    Location
    NYC
    Posts
    5,150
    Thanks
    1,261
    Thanked 1,430 Times in 888 Posts

    Default Re: Which CEO traits matter most ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Paris View Post
    I'd like to see more female CEO. Women are more likely to look at the long term outcomes, and make wiser choices due to this kind of thinking. The high risk behavior that is typical of the testosterone driven alpha-male has an awful lot to do with the current mess we are in.
    Be careful. A LOT of the "watchdogs" who were supposed to be keeping an eye on the henhouse were WOMEN.

  7. #7
    Banned Eric Stoner's Avatar
    Joined
    Oct 2006
    Location
    NYC
    Posts
    5,150
    Thanks
    1,261
    Thanked 1,430 Times in 888 Posts

    Default Re: Which CEO traits matter most ?

    Quote Originally Posted by minnow View Post
    Offhand, I'd say that 6,7,12,13,16 would be true.

    My curiosity is piqued just a bit, I have a few ??'s:

    1) . Is a link to survey/results eventually forthcoming from ES?

    2). I'm curious who Eric Stoner, Mel, etal, would choose as the Top 3 corporate CEO's that would epitomize a successful CEO, and the "key traits" that contributed to that success.

    3). Lastly, having chosen those answers, would you want to work for those CEO's?? (Original pov is as an investor/shareholder, correct??)
    1. Yes.
    2. That's a great question and I'm pondering the answer.
    3. Generally speaking , Yes and the pov is essentially irrelevant. A successful company is a successful company.

    I will post the source; the answers according to that study and my three picks for successful CEO's tomorrow.
    Last edited by Eric Stoner; 05-20-2009 at 11:18 AM.

  8. #8
    Banned Eric Stoner's Avatar
    Joined
    Oct 2006
    Location
    NYC
    Posts
    5,150
    Thanks
    1,261
    Thanked 1,430 Times in 888 Posts

    Default Re: Which CEO traits matter most ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Melonie View Post
    and let us not forget ...

    - knows where federal / state / local politicians' 'skeletons' are buried

    - knows which lobbyists are 'owed the biggest favors' in Washington / state capital

    The tin foil hat crowd will tell you that the good old days are gone when it used to matter whether or not a company's leadership was effective, efficient, foresighted etc. Today what matters most is what sort of gov't perks the company can land ... from tax breaks to low interest loans to economic development grants to debt guarantees etc. ... that will enable the one company to have a lower cost structure than its competitors.
    That's essentially irrelevant as ALL major corporations play that game and ALL get benefits from the government.

    Congress could end all the nonsense tomorrow. Cut the corporate income tax; simplify business deductions and institute a Flat Tax.

  9. #9
    Banned Melonie's Avatar
    Joined
    Jul 2002
    Location
    way south of the border
    Posts
    25,932
    Thanks
    612
    Thanked 10,563 Times in 4,646 Posts
    Blog Entries
    3
    My Mood
    Cynical

    Default Re: Which CEO traits matter most ?

    ^^^ you may want to rethink that 'broad brush' statement ...



    (snip)"High-ranking House Democrats are urging the Treasury Department to prop up minority-owned broadcasters suffering from a lack of capital and lost advertising revenue amid the economic slump.

    House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) is leading an effort to convince Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to take “decisive action” by extending credit to this sector of the broadcasting industry.

    Clyburn and other senior members, including House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), argue that minority-owned broadcasters are sound businesses, but that the recession could undermine the government’s efforts to diversify the airwaves.

    A number of members from the Congressional Black Caucus signed the letter, too."(snip)


    Thus it would appear that if this proposal becomes a reality, the most important trait for a radio station CEO is being a member of a minority ! Same issue already applies to minority and female CEO's of companies producing products that are purchased by / produding components of other products purchased / providing services to federal, state & local governments.

  10. #10
    Banned Eric Stoner's Avatar
    Joined
    Oct 2006
    Location
    NYC
    Posts
    5,150
    Thanks
    1,261
    Thanked 1,430 Times in 888 Posts

    Default Re: Which CEO traits matter most ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Melonie View Post
    ^^^ you may want to rethink that 'broad brush' statement ...

    http://thehill.com/business--lobby/d...009-05-19.html

    (snip)"High-ranking House Democrats are urging the Treasury Department to prop up minority-owned broadcasters suffering from a lack of capital and lost advertising revenue amid the economic slump.

    House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) is leading an effort to convince Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to take “decisive action” by extending credit to this sector of the broadcasting industry.

    Clyburn and other senior members, including House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), argue that minority-owned broadcasters are sound businesses, but that the recession could undermine the government’s efforts to diversify the airwaves.

    A number of members from the Congressional Black Caucus signed the letter, too."(snip)
    The irony. Oh the irony ! One BIG reason those broadcasters are hurting is reduced car commercials. Who cut the advertising budgets of Chrysler and GM ? OBAMA !

    Tell you what, when they hold the benefit for Percy Sutton of BET and Inner-City Broadcasting, let me know so I can buy a ticket. I'll even donate a brand new blender for the silent auction.

    However your point is a valid one, but imho has a LOT more to do with the bail-out and entitlement mentality fostered by Barack and The Obamas.

  11. #11
    God/dess Paris's Avatar
    Joined
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Oregon
    Posts
    6,345
    Thanks
    168
    Thanked 801 Times in 419 Posts

    Default Re: Which CEO traits matter most ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Eric Stoner View Post
    Be careful. A LOT of the "watchdogs" who were supposed to be keeping an eye on the henhouse were WOMEN.
    I'm not sure what this means. Female CEOs were allowing unreasonable risk in their companies? There aren't very many in Fortune 500 companies, so I'm curious as to whom you are referring.

    The insinuation in your statement is that women would wreak havoc if they ran more of the Fortune 500 companies. This is very offensive.


    Promote yourself and earn more money! This is a business that is owned by strippers for strippers. Let's make that money!


  12. #12
    Banned Melonie's Avatar
    Joined
    Jul 2002
    Location
    way south of the border
    Posts
    25,932
    Thanks
    612
    Thanked 10,563 Times in 4,646 Posts
    Blog Entries
    3
    My Mood
    Cynical

    Default Re: Which CEO traits matter most ?

    ^^^ I'm referring to female ( and minority) CEO's of component supplier companies, the purchase of whose products an assembler / manufacturer must consider when targeting their end product to be sold to a federal / state / local gov't agency (where successful seller is evaluated on female and minority owned domestic content). I'm talking about female ( and minority ) CEO's of service companies, who are given preferential treatment by federal / state / local gov'ts when service contractors are being selected. In both cases the management effectiveness of the CEO is more or less irrelevant, since their minority / woman owned businesses are guaranteed to receive preferential treatment over a competing business owned by a white male when the final customer is a government agency.

  13. #13
    Banned Melonie's Avatar
    Joined
    Jul 2002
    Location
    way south of the border
    Posts
    25,932
    Thanks
    612
    Thanked 10,563 Times in 4,646 Posts
    Blog Entries
    3
    My Mood
    Cynical

    Default Re: Which CEO traits matter most ?

    I would also point out that 'other' characteristics may indeed affect the success of CEO's in different lines of businesses. For example, in an interview with Cavuto, high volume high profit Long Island Chrysler dealer Jim Anderer was at a total loss in regard to why Chrysler Corporation chose to terminate his Chrysler dealership while continuing other nearby Chrysler dealerships which Anderer claims move far fewer vehicles and earn far less profit. Anderer attempted to derive the 'formula' by which Chrysler decided which dealerships to terminate and which dealerships to continue. However, no 'logical' connections appeared to exist i.e. dealer size, dealer sales volume, dealer profitability, dealer customer satisfaction etc. Said Anderer, 'the government is stealing my business'. Not only is Anderer's auto dealership business likely to be bankrupted, but Chrysler is forcing terminated dealerships to 'eat' unsold inventory which may result in a personal bankruptcy as well.



    However one very interesting potential connection may exist where Anderer is concerned. Anderer is also an active Republican, and a big donor to state / local Republican candidates !

  14. #14
    God/dess hockeybobby's Avatar
    Joined
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    4,969
    Thanks
    1,811
    Thanked 597 Times in 382 Posts
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default Re: Which CEO traits matter most ?

    It seems greed is a necessary trait too, judging by the incredible compensation and pension packages.

  15. #15
    Banned Eric Stoner's Avatar
    Joined
    Oct 2006
    Location
    NYC
    Posts
    5,150
    Thanks
    1,261
    Thanked 1,430 Times in 888 Posts

    Default Re: Which CEO traits matter most ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Paris View Post
    I'm not sure what this means. Female CEOs were allowing unreasonable risk in their companies? There aren't very many in Fortune 500 companies, so I'm curious as to whom you are referring.

    The insinuation in your statement is that women would wreak havoc if they ran more of the Fortune 500 companies. This is very offensive.
    Either I was less than artful in my phrasing or much more likely, you are being hypersensitive.

    First of all, women as a group haven't been any more successful as CEO's than men. They have had their successes and their failures.

    One of the main feeder funds to Bernie Madoff was headed by a woman. She ADMITS that she was less than thorough in insisting on and obtaining info from Madoff. The head of enforcement for the SEC who completely ignored the Madoff mess was a women. Several other government posts responsible for overseeing the financial industry were held by women.

    MY point ( I don't know about yours, assuming you had one, but MINE) was that women were no more likely than men to have avoided the current mess. Some of the biggest Congressional cheerleaders for the CRA, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were women: Maxine Waters; Babs Mikulski, Diane Frankenfeinstein, Nancy Pelosi etc. Jamie Gorelick ( who seems to be in the middle of a number of government train wrecks ) was a big honcho at Fannie Mae who pushed for MORE sub-prime mortgages being written.

    I NEVER said anything remotely approaching or deserving the implication you'd like to attach to me i.e. that women would wreak havoc if they ran more of the Fortune 500.

  16. #16
    Banned Eric Stoner's Avatar
    Joined
    Oct 2006
    Location
    NYC
    Posts
    5,150
    Thanks
    1,261
    Thanked 1,430 Times in 888 Posts

    Default Re: Which CEO traits matter most ?

    As promised : This thread is based on the recent paper published by Steven Kaplan, Mark Klebanov and Morten Sorensen of the National Bureau of Economic Research. It can be ordered at nber.org/papers/w14195.

    Of the traits I listed, all the odd numbered ones ( 1, 3, 5, etc. ) are NOT characteristics and abilities that seem to matter when assessing the most important qualities needed to run a successful company. All the even numbered ones ( 2, 4 , 6, etc.) ARE qualities commonly found in successful CEO's.

    The qualities that really matter are the ability to organize and execute policy. The traits that correlated most closely with success were attention to detail, persistence, efficiency, analytic thoroughness and the ability to work long hours. Those that did not matter include a lot of personal skills and qualities like charm, charisma and even eloquence.

    In answer to Minnow's query , three examples of successful CEO's are Phil Knight, Jack Welch and Lee Iococca. It was tempting to include Warren Buffet but he's much more of an INVESTOR than a CEO. He buys companies and usually leaves their management team intact and lets them run the company. He rarely, if ever, interferes with their management style and decisions.

  17. #17
    Featured Member minnow's Avatar
    Joined
    Sep 2007
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    1,003
    Thanks
    242
    Thanked 519 Times in 315 Posts
    Blog Entries
    10
    My Mood
    Twisted

    Default Re: Which CEO traits matter most ?

    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

    ES- Thanks for keeping promise and answering my question.

    While those 3 individuals are good examples, the disturbing thing is that no CURRENT CEO's were mentioned. The 3 individuals "made their bones" as CEO primarily 10-30 years ago.

  18. #18
    Banned Eric Stoner's Avatar
    Joined
    Oct 2006
    Location
    NYC
    Posts
    5,150
    Thanks
    1,261
    Thanked 1,430 Times in 888 Posts

    Default Re: Which CEO traits matter most ?

    Quote Originally Posted by minnow View Post
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

    ES- Thanks for keeping promise and answering my question.

    While those 3 individuals are good examples, the disturbing thing is that no CURRENT CEO's were mentioned. The 3 individuals "made their bones" as CEO primarily 10-30 years ago.
    Well you asked for MY choices for CEO's who embody the qualities the study referred to said were important for success.

    There are dozens of more recent examples of successful CEO's.

Similar Threads

  1. Personality traits for stripping success?
    By prettysammie in forum Newbie Board
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 04-04-2011, 11:42 AM
  2. Inheriting traits?
    By BuffyFlame in forum Other Work
    Replies: 27
    Last Post: 02-25-2011, 10:50 AM
  3. Obama = CEO of GM
    By Eric Stoner in forum Dollar Den
    Replies: 57
    Last Post: 11-17-2009, 05:55 PM
  4. CEO club
    By Ebony in forum Club Chat
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 08-22-2004, 11:55 AM
  5. CEO NYC
    By Ebony in forum Club Chat
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 04-06-2004, 09:16 AM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •