Asian CEOs stress innovation.

CHIEF EXECUTIVES OF ASIAN companies are most concerned with people issues such as spearheading innovation and acquiring top talent, while their counterparts at U.S. and European firms are more focused on growth. That's the finding of a recent study by The Conference Board, which polled more than 500 top execs in 40 countries.

Asked to name their greatest concern, 51 percent of Asian CEOs said it was triggering innovation, followed by 47 percent who cited the need to acquire talented managers. By comparison, just 34 percent of European CEOs pointed to innovation and 32 percent to hiring top talent. Among U.S. CEOs, it was 28 percent for innovation and 22 percent for talent.

The emphasis that Asian chief executives place on people issues reflects their challenges in building deeper ranks of visionary leaders, says Kyung H. Yoon, vice chairman of the executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles, a cosponsor of the study.

"The depth of innovative managers with global perspectives is relatively thin, and the educational systems in Asia emphasize memorization of facts and the ability to take tests," Yoon says. As a result, he adds, many students in Asian countries fail to learn how to think creatively and independently. And because Asian cultures tend to be risk averse, corporate leaders are less likely to take on ambitious projects that may fail.