Published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior, the survey gathered data from the executive teams and 422 employees across 65 organizations in the United States and Belgium. CEOs included in the study averaged 13 years in the position.
CEOs Should Be Humble
The study directly points out the takeaway: Humility marks the difference between feedback seeking CEO and one more focused on his or her own vision. Sure, CEOs still need to measure whether the feedback is correct, but being willing to listen is a first step. The findings align with what other CEO experts have held, as Krister Ungerboeck, a CEO coach at CEO Growth, explains: […] CEO feedback seeking has its strongest effects on firm performance and TMT potency for CEOs who are not seen as having a vision.” By balancing the demands of the current quarter with employees’ more long-term aims, a talented CEO can gain the feedback needed to see growth in the bottom line.
