Australia's corporate leaders are very different from their US counterparts according to a study into the personality traits of successful Australian CEOs by global CEO membership organisation The Executive Connection.
Australia's corporate leaders are very different from their US counterparts according to a study into the personality traits of successful Australian CEOs by global CEO membership organisation The Executive Connection.
The TEC CEO Leadership Study, the first major analysis of its kind found Australian CEOs were, among other things more entrepreneurial and more willing to confont issues.
Undertaken by TEC in partnership with renowned U.S. psychologist, Dr Robert Hogan and Peter Berry Consultancy, the study analysed the personality traits of effective leaders in Australia and compared Australian leadership skills against U.S. business leaders from Fortune 100 companies as well as Australian owner-operator CEOs and corporate CEOs.
Fifty-five Australian CEOs completed the Hogan Assessment Systems online surveys with the following conclusions about successful leadership in Australia:
- Ambitious - they have the burning desire to be successful, outperform others, find new business opportunities and realise profits
- Communicative - they have strong interpersonal skills to build, motivate and sustain high-performing, goal-achieving teams
- Energy Creators - they make positive, sometimes charismatic impressions on others, creating energy to achieve goals and build long term, profitable relationships
- Strategic strength - they have maturity and emotional strength to cope with problems and still focus positively on the big picture
- Balanced - they are conscientious, reliable, structured and make plans, they are neither control freaks nor compulsive risk takers
- Innovative - they are constantly learning and looking for new training opportunities
"After 20 years of helping CEOs become better leaders, we thought this was a great opportunity for TEC to take a closer look at some of our successful Australian leaders and see what makes them so great", explains Mike O'Neil, TEC CEO.
The study suggests that the personality traits of Australian business leaders are also different to those of their U.S. counterparts, indicating:
- Australian leaders are more entrepreneurial in comparison to the U.S. sample
- Australian leaders show a greater sense of urgency and wiliness to learn from mistakes
- Australian leaders are more willing to confront problem performers
- Australian leaders are more flexible, more tolerant of ambiguity and more willing to change directions quickly
- Australian leaders are more business-focussed and less interested in abstract discussions of theory and strategy
- Australian leaders are less conservative and more action-oriented and more risk taking
- Australian leaders are tough, resilient and astute about corporate politics
- Australian leaders are more fun-loving, socially engaging, imaginative and visionary
- Australian leaders place greater value on team building skills, strategic thinking, delegating and being a good organisational citizen
The study also indicates there are some differences in the personality traits of owner-operator CEOs and corporate CEOs, finding that:
- Owner-operating CEOs are more co-operative, cheerful, open to feedback, helpful, upbeat and supportive of the organisation
- Corporate CEOs are looking for more recognition of their achievements and a high profile
- Owner operators are more modest and less in need of the limelight
- Owner operators are found to be more entrepreneurial
About the TEC CEO Leadership Study
The TEC CEO Leadership Study, undertaken by The Executive Connection (TEC) in partnership with Peter Berry Consultancy and renowned psychologist, Dr Robert Hogan, is the first major study of successful Australian CEOs resulting in defining key personality traits for successful leadership. TEC and Peter Berry Consultancy selected 55 TEC CEOs to complete the Hogan Assessment Systems assessment battery; including the Hogan Personality Inventory, the Hogan Development Survey and the Motives, Values, Preferences Inventory. The CEOs were chosen based on their success at growing a profitable business.
The TEC CEO Leadership Study data was collected on Monday 10th of April, 2006. Peter Berry Consultancy was responsible for the administration of the research study and collected research data from TEC CEOs and TEC Chairman through April and May 2006.
Of the 55 TEC CEOs who completed the study, 32 are owner-operator CEOs and 23 are non-owner operators or corporate CEOs. Ages of CEOs in the study range from 37-63, and 23.6 percent were women. The CEOs, from New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia, run small to medium-sized organisations, ranging in turnover from $2 million to $450 million, employing between 10 and 8,500 staff. They come from a range of industries such as: non-profit, health care, industrial organisations, technology, bulk exporters, construction, publishing houses, tourism, professional services, pharmaceuticals, manufacturers, consumer goods importers and retailers.
About The Executive Connection
The Executive Connection (TEC) is the world's leading CEO membership organisation for ongoing professional and personal development, increasing the effectiveness and enhancing the lives of business leaders.
Members are placed in groups of up to 16 non-competing peers to gain insights and learn from each other's experiences. Each group is led in a monthly one-day session, by a TEC Chair, a highly experienced business professional. The day consists of interactive speaker sessions and issues workshops. The Chair also holds one-on-one sessions once a month with each member of the group to address individual issues.
TEC Chief Executives gain improved decision making, increased accountability, personal and professional growth, overcoming isolation, anticipating and managing change, networking nationally and internationally.
The Executive Connection was founded in the USA in 1957 with a global membership of over 10,000 Chief Executives in 15 countries. The Executive Connection began in Australia in 1986 and currently has over 1100 members. For more information, www.tec.com.au
About Hogan Assessment Systems
Hogan Assessment Systems (HAS), founded by renowned psychologist, Dr Robert Hogan, is a multidisciplinary consulting firm that specializes in employee selection and development, providing comprehensive assessment solutions for customers around the world. HAS customers include more than half of the Fortune 100 companies, plus many other organizations in Australasia and around the world.
Hogan Assessments are used by many well known global and Australasian brands including U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Adidas-Salomon, AT&T, Pepsico, Lockheed Martin, Rolls Royce, Starwood Hotels and Restaurants, Bank of America, CSX Transportation US, Bellsouth Corporation US, Australian Airlines,IBM, BHP, Ingeus, BP, St Hillers, Maggie Beer, The College of Law, Australand, SydneyWater, Blue Star Print, AMP Capital, Qantas, Ella Bache and Sara Lee.
About Peter Berry Consultancy
Peter Berry Consultancy is a multidisciplinary consulting organisation specialising in profiling and consulting services that make a real difference in leadership, business planning, people and culture. Peter Berry Consultancy has been operating since 1990 working with blue-chip organisations including Toyota, Coca-Cola, Nestlé, General Electric and Qantas.
Hogan Assessment Systems is available in Australia through Peter Berry Consultancy at
