Many people aspire to run their own company, or become the CEO of one, but few have the personal qualities needed to get to the top. Harvard Business School surveyed CEOs and asked them what they thought were the most important qualities for getting to the top.
The three traits most commonly mentioned were “realistic optimism”, “subservience to purpose” and “finding order in chaos”. So who are the people with these traits who are serving as role models for top executives?
The 10 people CEOs list as role models:
- Winston Churchill
- Steve Jobs
- Mahatma Gandhi
- Nelson Mandela
- Jack Welch
- Abraham Lincoln
- Margaret Thatcher
- Ronald Reagan
- John F. Kennedy
- Bill Clinton/Napoleon Bonaparte (tie)
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Author: Donald Armbrecht is a freelance writer and social media producer.
Image: A woman with a book sits on a bench at the departure area at the Fraport airport in Frankfurt. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
