Last year, the journalist Malcolm Gladwell conducted a…
“Last year, the journalist Malcolm Gladwell conducted a survey of chief executive officers of Fortune 500 companies for his book Blink. He discovered that while in the US population 14.5 per cent of all men are 6ft (1.83m) or taller, among CEOs of Fortune 500 companies the proportion is 58 per cent. And while 3.9 per cent of American adults are 6ft 2in or taller, almost a third of the CEOs were that tall.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Tall CEOs are far more common than in the general population, suggesting height may influence leadership selection.
In simple terms: Height appears linked to CEO prevalence.
Key Takeaway
Consider bias in leadership hiring.
Themes
leadership
bias
height
statistics
Mood
analytical
informative
Type
business
statistical
When to use this quote
- executive recruitment
- diversity initiatives
- HR training
- research studies
Key Concepts
organizational psychology
social stratification
Questions to Reflect On
- Does height affect perceived authority?
- What other traits correlate with CEO roles?
A Different Perspective
Height is only one of many factors; correlation not causation.