Look of a Leader: a blog post by Ayumi Imaizumi
(image sourced from Ayumi’s blog)
Ayumi wrote about an interesting research analysis about the key features that make a leader in a particular field of business. She states in her blog that “According to research done by Malcolm Gladwell, ‘30% of CEOs of Fortune 500 companies are 6 feet 2 inches or taller’… [and] that CEOs with the ‘deepest voices earned $187,000 a year more than the average'”.
Since when did height and voice amplitude make or break the success of a business leader? I believe that the thought process behind how individuals instill trust in their leader is dependent on whether or not their leader provides a sense of security and responsibility. Perhaps through natural selection, taller men with deeper voices have successfully genetically convinced us that they are more capable of leadership positions and that they are qualified to do so.
I think this is an interesting article because although evidence is uncertain regarding the actual reason why the previously listed characteristics are shared by many leaders in corporate environments, it gives society and those working in businesses a wake-up call by saying, “hey, not all leaders need to meet those height and voice requirements”. These statistics demonstrate characteristics behind the success of many business leaders to society and may convince individuals to reconsider their options when electing their new CEO.