But these CEOs are just doing what they love, oozing delight from every pore. They love their jobs so much they don't want to be doing anything else in five years--88% tell us that. These CEOs are living the American dream. Why shouldn't they be feeling giddy? --Susan Greco
| Highest Level of Education Completed |
| Two-year college |
8% |
| High school |
9% |
| M.B.A. |
14% |
| Other graduate or advanced degree |
20% |
| Four-year college |
49% |
| Economic Background |
| Poor |
4% |
| Affluent |
6% |
| Working class |
24% |
| Middle class |
66% |
| On-the-Job Training |
| Number of CEOs with previous management experience |
322 |
| Number of CEOs with management experience at a Fortune 500 company |
116 |
| Number of CEOs who have been casualties of downsizing |
37 |
| Greatest Weakness and Strengths |
| Number of CEOs who cite the following as a-- |
Strength |
Weakness |
| Sales-and-marketing strategies |
145 |
19 |
| Managing people |
112 |
89 |
| Financial strategies |
53 |
75 |
| Information technology |
29 |
19 |
| Product innovation |
23 |
2 |
| Other |
59 |
35 |
*Out of 405 respondents; numbers do not add up to 100 because of rounding
| Equity: On Average, Who Has It Now?* |
| Cofounders |
18% |
| Investors |
10% |
| Family |
7% |
| Employees |
4% |
| CEO |
60% |
| Three Best Shoulders to Cry On |
| With Whom Do You Commiserate? |
| 1. Fellow entrepreneurs |
41% |
| 2. Spouse or other relative |
31% |
| 3. Friends outside the business |
12% |
Favorite Business Thinkers
Bill Gates, Tom Peters, and Peter Drucker
Unusual Choices for Favorite Business Thinkers
Mark Twain, Robert Frost, Ayn Rand, Jerry Garcia, and "My brother Oscar"
What Keeps CEOs Up at Night
CEOs' four biggest worries:
- Finding and managing people
- Managing growth
- Keeping up with competitors' strategies
- Keeping up with technology
*Out of 368 respondents; numbers do not add up to 100 because of rounding.
| The Take at the Top |
| 1996 CEO salaries* |
| $201,000 or more |
27% |
| $150,001 to $200,000 |
17% |
| $100,001 to $150,000 |
29% |
| $50,001 to $100,000 |
24% |
| $50,000 or less |
4% |
*Numbers do not add up to 100 because of rounding.
| Current Marital Status* |
| Other long-term relationship |
1% |
| Divorced |
5% |
| Single |
8% |
| Married |
85% |
Times at Bat
A whopping 191 CEOs reported that they had founded one or more other companies; some 38 are still involved in those other ventures, but at least 60 CEOs experienced failure, some more than once. Nicholas Turano struck out 4 out of 5 times with other companies but scored a home run with this year's #400, Warm Springs Machining.
The R&R Report
Average amount of vacation in 1996: 2.3 Weeks
% of CEOs who take time off to get motivated: 4%
% of CEOs who exercise for motivation: 9%
% of CEOs who plunge themselves into another company challenge for motivation: 68%
