Great CEOs: nature or nurture? (Editor's Note).

One of the preoccupations of CEOs--and of this magazine--is the messy and mysterious process by which great leaders, and by extension great orgarnzations, are made. What makes one leader successful while another fails, even though both share seemingly similar attributes, challenges and opportunities? Why does a leader achieve great things in one situation and almost nothing elsewhere? Can those who wish to lead learn from others, or is the capacity for leadership -- or lack thereof -- hardwired into our DNA at birth?

Complicating this study are societal factors that have altered how employees respond to leaders, including:

* A generation of downsizing and flavor-of-the-month management fads, which have left employees without faith in their companies or their leaders;

* A changing workforce demographic, with women and minorities representing a higher percentage of employees than ever before;

* A decline in respect for authority, and greater willingness to question those who lead organizations;

* A shift in employee expectations from cradle-to-grave security to opportunities for skill and expertise;

* An increasing recognition that quality of life is as important, if not more so, than financial remuneration.

What all this means is that employees want different things from life, from work and from their leaders than the workers of yesterday. And that if a CEO expects to be successful, he or she will have to offer more of what these employees want, including:

* True partnerships between employee and employer, including shared planning and decision-making;

* Meaningful participation in the organization's financial success, both short- and long-term;

* Career-long skills development and training;

* Increased contact and responsibilities with customers, suppliers and other partners;

* Information, tools and technologies appropriate to maximizing productivity and job satisfaction;

* Opportunities to combine work with community service;

* Most of all, these employees want leaders--not George S. Patton clones who bark and swagger, but real leaders with the vision and heart and savvy to enlist others in building something larger than themselves. Most employees come to work each day in the hope, however distant, of being part of something great; the shame is so many of them are disappointed so often, by leaders without the depth or soul to nurture that longing into greatness itself.

What about you?

Great leaders and where to find them are also the subject of a new study featured in this issue of Chief Executive. A research partnership between CE and Hewitt Associates surveyed nearly 350 executives to determine the Top 20 Companies for Leaders in the U.S. Their names appear on page 24. Just as important are the lessons these companies can teach about how to develop leaders and leadership through an organization.

Let us know what you think.

John Brandt President & Editorial Director