We surveyed 1,797 chief executives to better understand the work environment and required skills of a typical chief executive. Here are the results.
How much intelligence is required as a chief executive?
Low
High
Working as a chief executive typically requires higher levels of intelligence when compared with the average career. This means that chief executives are required to actively learn new things related to their discipline and solve complex problems.
Can I learn to become a chief executive?
Intrinsic Talent
Acquired Talent
A career as a chief executive 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 chief executive?
Easy
Hard
It’s typically quite difficult to find a job as a chief executive. If you’re curious about the numbers, check out the job market for chief executives.
Do chief executives work full-time or part-time?
88% of chief executives work in full-time roles while 12% work part-time.
Is being a chief executive stressful?
Low
High
Stress is very commonplace for chief executives, contributing negatively towards career satisfaction.
Is being organized important as a chief executive?
Low
High
Organization is considered a very important trait for chief executives, and is critical to success in the field.
How competitive is the workplace for chief executives?
Low
High
Chief executives tend to see lots of competition in the workplace, with desire to get ahead of co-workers being common.
Does being a chief executive require frequent time pressure to complete tasks?
Low
High
Chief executives will see frequent time pressure on the job, likely contributing to an occasionally stressful work environment.
Are chief executives allowed to express themselves creatively?
Low
High
Creativity is intrinsic to being a chief executive, and a highly valuable part of the career.
Do chief executives have control over the direction of their work?
Low
High
Chief executives have high flexibility in the direction of their work, allowing them a lot of freedom in how they accomplish their goals.
Is being a chief executive physically demanding?
Low
High
Being a chief executive may occasionally require demanding physical activity, which may make it not a suitable career choice for everyone.
Are chief executives exposed to a wide variety of work?
Low
High
The workload of a chief executive changes frequently, with their day-to-day rarely being the same.
Does being a chief executive require attention to detail?
Low
High
Attention to detail isn't necessarily required to be successful as a chief executive.
Does being a good chief executive require compassion and empathy?
Low
High
Strong compassion and empathy are critical to success as a chief executive.