We surveyed 3,101 CEOs to better understand the work environment and required skills of a typical CEO. Here are the results.
How much intelligence is required as a CEO?
Low
High
Working as a CEO typically requires higher levels of intelligence when compared with the average career. This means that CEOs are required to actively learn new things related to their discipline and solve complex problems.
Can I learn to become a CEO?
Intrinsic Talent
Acquired Talent
A career as a CEO typically depends predominantly on qualities you can gain through experience, with a small aspect of skills you are born with.
Is it easy to get a job as a CEO?
Easy
Hard
It’s typically quite difficult to find a job as a CEO.
Do CEOs work full-time or part-time?
90% of CEOs work in full-time roles while 10% work part-time.
Is being a CEO stressful?
Low
High
Stress is very commonplace for CEOs, contributing negatively towards career satisfaction.
Is being organized important as a CEO?
Low
High
Organization is considered a very important trait for CEOs, and is critical to success in the field.
How competitive is the workplace for CEOs?
Low
High
CEOs tend to see lots of competition in the workplace, with desire to get ahead of co-workers being common.
Does being a CEO require frequent time pressure to complete tasks?
Low
High
CEOs will see frequent time pressure on the job, likely contributing to an occasionally stressful work environment.
Are CEOs allowed to express themselves creatively?
Low
High
Creativity is intrinsic to being a CEO, and a highly valuable part of the career.
Do CEOs have control over the direction of their work?
Low
High
CEOs have high flexibility in the direction of their work, allowing them a lot of freedom in how they accomplish their goals.
Is being a CEO physically demanding?
Low
High
Being a CEO may occasionally require demanding physical activity, which may make it not a suitable career choice for everyone.
Are CEOs exposed to a wide variety of work?
Low
High
The workload of a CEO changes frequently, with their day-to-day rarely being the same.
Does being a CEO require attention to detail?
Low
High
As in many careers, attention to detail is quite helpful for CEOs.
Does being a good CEO require compassion and empathy?
Low
High
Strong compassion and empathy are critical to success as a CEO.