Glassdoor, a jobs and career community, has released its annual report of the Highest Rated CEOs for 2014, which is determined by employee feedback shared during the past year. On Glassdoor, employees voluntarily and anonymously provide their opinion on whether they approve or disapprove of how their CEO is leading the company. This year, Glassdoor has recognized the 50 Highest Rated CEOs at large companies (1,000 or more employees) and for the first time, the 25 Highest Rated CEOs at small and mid-sized companies (fewer than 1,000 employees).
“We find on Glassdoor that a strong leader is often one who has the ability to clearly communicate the vision for the company and who helps employees see how their work connects to the big picture. In addition, top rated CEOs are commonly seen as relatable, accessible and transparent,” said Robert Hohman, Glassdoor CEO and co-founder.” It is no small feat to gain the support of your employees for your leadership.”
A number of CEOs have already taken steps to re-orient their organizations accordingly. When Vineet Nayar took the helm of HCL Technologies in 2005, he inverted the traditional pyramid putting employees first, customers second, putting the $3 billion IT company on a very distinct footing with respect to their competitors. “I replaced zones of control with spans of influence,” he later commented. Likewise, when David Novak became president of KFC, he started giving away floppy chickens and $100. “It ignited performance because people respond to recognition,” he later told Chief Executive. “Now every leader in our company has their own individual recognition award.” More and more CEOs are paying closer attention to the authenticity of their internal relationships. Herb Kelleher, the legendary co-founder and chairman of Southwest Airlines once said, “culture is what you do when no one is looking.”
On Glassdoor’s 2014 list of the 50 Highest Rated CEOs at large companies, the top CEOs represent diverse industries, including tech, auto manufacturing, public relations and retail. The top rated CEO on Glassdoor’s 2013 report, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, drops to No. 9 on the 2014 report with a 93 percent approval rating, down seven percentage points. Of the 26 CEOs appearing on Glassdoor’s 2013 and 2014 report, Goldman Sachs’ Lloyd Blankfein has seen the most improvement, jumping 29 spots from No. 36 on the 2013 report to No. 7 on the 2014 report with a 94 percent approval rating, increasing nine percentage points since last year.
On the 2014 list of the 25 Highest Rated CEOs at small and mid-sized companies, the top three CEOs all lead tech companies that provide software to help organizations manage and grow business. Both reports were determined using CEO approval ratings gathered from Glassdoor-approved company reviews collected between February 1, 2013 and January 31, 2014, and are based on reviews from U.S.-based employees. To be considered, at a minimum, CEOs at U.S.-headquartered large companies had to receive at least 100 approved reviews, and CEOs at U.S.-headquartered small and mid-sized companies had to receive at least 30 approved reviews, respectively, during this time frame.
Source: Glassdoor/ 50 Highest Rated CEOs
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1:00 - 5:00 pm
Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process
Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:
Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns. They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning. Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process. This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented. If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form. The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.
2:00 - 5:00 pm
Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations.
Limited space available.
10:30 - 5:00 pm
General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS
General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.
The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.
