October 23, 2008
Philanthropic Roles Help Elevate Corporate CEO's on Most-Admired List
Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and Oprah Winfrey all landed near the top of list of CEO’s who Americans most admire, according to a survey by the Reputation Institute, a consulting firm with offices in New York and abroad.
The study polled more than 7,450 U.S. consumers and asking them to come up with three chief executives they admire most. The data was collected between February and March 2008.
“Being seen as a visionary leader who can deliver strong results on the bottom line at the same time as being a good corporate citizen is what the U.S. general public admires,” says Kasper Nielsen, Reputation Institute’s managing partner. “The three key things that people are looking for are charitable giving, business success, and a sense that the CEO is authentic, trustworthy and sincere.”
Leading the list was Microsoft’s Bill Gates, with 35 percent of those surveyed saying the think highly of him.
Next on the list:
- Donald Trump, the real-estate tycoon.
- Warren Buffett, head of Berkshire Hathaway.
- The talk-show host Oprah Winfrey.
- Steve Jobs, founder of Apple.
The five CEOs who rounded out the list were: the former Chrysler Corporation leader Lee Iacoccca; the late Sam Walton, of Wal-Mart; Martha Stewart, of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia; Ross Perot of Electronic Data Systems; and Mitt Romney, of the Bain Company.
Ms. Nielsen says executives gain in reputation when they link their charitable giving to their business goals.
“It is no longer enough just to write a check. If you align your citizenship activities with your business, your reputation will be enhanced, and you will be seen as trusted, admired and respected,” he says. “For instance, if you are in the business of transporting materials from one point to another, it would make sense for you to have your company trucks deliver medical supplies to a disaster zone. Or if you are a drug company, then donations of medicines to a crisis area would be appropriate.”
— Mary Medland
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Donald Trump? Where did he come from? He is not philanthropic, heinherited his wealth, declared bankruptcy twice, cheats on his wives, and is a reality TV buffoon. What an odd person to admire!
— Anne Oct 24, 11:21 AM #