The study, listing the world's most admired business leaders, conducted by Burson-Marsteller with the Economist Intelligence Unit named Bill Gates, Microsoft’s chairman and chief software architect, the world’s most admired business leader.
According to the press release, the 2005 CEO Capital™ study asked "more than 600 global business influentials in 65 countries to write in which CEO or chairman they admire most in the business world today."
“The selection of Bill Gates as the 2005 world’s most admired leader not only recognizes his ongoing stewardship at the company he founded but it also acknowledges the powerful effect that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has had on Bill Gates’ reputation,” remarked Dr. Leslie Gaines-Ross, Burson-Marsteller’s chief knowledge & research officer worldwide and the study’s architect. “Leaders and their companies can no longer safely ignore the value placed on corporate responsibility and commitment by 21st century citizens.”
Gates was also named Person of the Year by Time magazine this month.
What I found interesting was that of the top five leaders, three were from U.S. technology companies:
1. Bill Gates, Microsoft
2. Steve Jobs, Apple
4. Michael Dell, Dell Computers
Warren Buffet, Berkshire Hathaway ranked third and Richard Branson, Virgin Group was fifth.
Other interesting characteristics about the world’s top 15 most admired leaders surfaced in the study:
1. Despite the predominance of American companies among the top four most admired leaders, more than half (nine of 15 or 60 percent) represent other regions -- UK (4), Finland (1), Netherlands (1), Japan/France (1), India (1) and Australia (1).
2. Eight of the top 15 leaders (53 percent) are company founders.
3. All of the global most admired are insider CEOs (CEOs who have been with the same company for three years or more).
4. No female CEOs or chairmen were chosen.
I would not call this study definitive but I take this from the small data set. 2. Eight of the top 15 leaders (53 percent) are company founders.
3. All of the global most admired are insider CEOs (CEOs who have been with the same company for three years or more).
4. No female CEOs or chairmen were chosen.
- The business world is becoming more global
- Technology will drive the future
- Founders have a way of entrenching themselves
Also, if you ask a bunch of men business leaders about leadership, you will likely get men leaders mentioned. It was also a global study and women clearly are absent in business leadership in most countries. The U.S. while better than most, has nothing to be proud of in this category either.
Thanks to BizDrivenLife for the tip.
» Women Leaders from LeaderNotes
What do I know about this? Not much. I have written about women’s leadership before I think it is important to identify good resources that are available. [Read More]
Tracked on: January 27, 2006 4:55 PM | Permalink to Trackback