Who Are America’s Leaders?
Respondents were asked to name up to three people alive today that they regard as superior leaders, whether the individuals are well known or not. Not surprisingly, many individuals were nominated as superior leaders. The businessmen and women named no fewer than 505 people, while the alumni named 400. Table 1 below shows all individuals who accounted for at least two percent of the mentions in one of the two groups.
| Name | Business Men/Women | Alma College Alumni |
| Pres. George W. Bush | 11% | 3% |
| Pres. Bill Clinton | 5% | 2% |
| Rev. Billy Graham | 4% | 3% |
| Gen. Colin Powell | 4% | 3% |
| Respondent’s father | 3% | 6% |
| Microsoft CEO Bill Gates | 3% | 1% |
| Pres. Jimmy Carter | 2% | 4% |
| Sen. Barack Obama | 2% | 3% |
| Mayor Rudy Giuliani | 2% | 2% |
| Sen. Hilary Clinton | 2% | 1% |
| Television personality Oprah Winfrey | 2% | 1% |
| Vice Pres. Al Gore | 1% | 2% |
| Respondent’s spouse | 1% | 2% |
| Gov. Jennifer Granholm | —% | 3% |
| Sen. Carl Levin | —% | 2% |
| Table 1: Individuals Named as ‘Superior Leaders’ by America’s Business Men and Women, or Alma College Alumni, Composite of up to Three Mentions, Percent of Mentions | ||
| Source: EPIC _ MRA. Percentages rounded to nearest whole percent. Columns do not sum to 100%. | ||
Others mentioned by 1 percent of the respondents: James Dobson, John McCain, Lee Iaccoca, my child, my mom, Rush Limbaugh, Arnold Swartzenegger, Condeleeza Rice, Gen. Schwartzkoff, Gordon Hinkley, John Edwards, Mitt Romney and Warren Buffett.
The preponderance of political figures in the list, especially national political figures, is noteworthy. Also noteworthy is the fact that while the top vote-getter among businessmen and women is Pres. Bush, Mr. Bush is one of five people tied for third place among Alma College alumni, behind the respondent’s father and former president Jimmy Carter.
Commentary by John Leipzig, director of the Center for Responsible Leadership
“Businessmen and women in particular look to their president for superior leadership, as shown by the naming of Presidents Bush, Clinton and Carter,” says Leipzig.
“However, the fact that one in five surveyed could not name a superior leader suggests that the country is struggling with a perceived crisis of leadership. As we enter another presidential campaign season, Americans are desperate for a candidate that will display the qualities of a superior leader.”
Despite the survey findings, the skills, values, knowledge and personal discipline necessary to be superior leaders are not limited to aspiring presidents, celebrities or people who are “in charge,” says Leipzig. They are found in people “in all walks of life, at all levels of an organization.”
“Corporate America, our schools, communities, churches and organizations are not generally led by politicians and celebrities; they have to be led by people who can anticipate and manage change, have a sense of ethical purpose and commitment, and understand the long-term impact of decisions on the health and well being of their organizations and communities,” says Leipzig.
Some may also find it noteworthy that while the respondent’s father and the respondent’s spouse both account for at least two percent of the mentions in both groups, the respondent’s mother does not account for enough mentions to make the list, in either group. In fact, of the 13 named individuals in Table 1, only three are women.
Missing from Table 1 are the very large groups who said, in effect, None of the above. Of the 1,000 businessmen and women surveyed, 195 (19.5%) did not mention anyone they consider to be a superior leader. Similarly, of the 200 Alma College alumni surveyed, 32 (15.5%) did not mention anyone they consider to be a superior leader.
Additional Findings
Despite low approval ratings, President Bush was named most frequently in all four major geographic regions of the country — with the highest mentions in the South, where the president was named by 14 percent of the respondents. President Clinton was mentioned as a superior leader most frequently in the Northeast and West regions.
Fifteen percent of respondents with no college degree named President Bush as a superior leader, compared to 7 percent of respondents with college degrees. All other top leaders were consistent among degreed and non-degreed respondents.
Responses from people who work in education settings varied significantly from other organizations. Their top leaders were: Jimmy Carter (7 percent) and Condeleeza Rice (7 percent).
Retired businessmen and women named President Bush (12 percent) and Billy Graham (9 percent).
Individuals under 40 were more likely to identify their father as a superior leader (6 percent) than respondents over 40 (2 percent).
Both male and female respondents were consistent in their naming of leaders, with both naming Presidents Bush and Clinton most frequently. However, 4 percent of female respondents named Oprah Winfrey as a superior leader, compared to 1 percent of male respondents.
