Characteristics associated with success: CEOs' perspectives

Abstract

Purpose

This exploratory study investigated the characteristics that chief executive officers (CEOs) associated with their success.

Design/methodology/approach

Twenty CEOs were interviewed and asked to identify characteristics they possessed, and that they felt were related to their success.

Findings

The two dominant characteristics identified were achievement orientation and humanistic approach, followed by positivism. Very little or no emphasis was placed on being inclusive, having integrity, having a balanced approach, learning and self‐awareness or having an external focus.

Research limitations/implications

In order to further our understanding of effective leadership in organisations, future research needs to build on these findings by asking individuals who directly report to CEOs to comment on the characteristics they believe their CEOs possesses.

Practical implications

There are important implications from these results for the selection and development of CEOs.

Originality/value

This study is one of the few to comprehensively investigate CEOs' characteristics. Most of the earlier work was either theoretical or narrowly focused.

Citation

Wood, J. and Vilkinas, T. (2005), "Characteristics associated with success: CEOs' perspectives", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 26 No. 3, pp. 186-196. https://doi.org/10.1108/01437730510591743