• Register
  • Login

International Journal of Organizational Leadership

  1. Home
  2. Climbing the Ladder Sideways: Personality Traits of Non-Traditional CEOs

Current Issue

By Issue

By Author

By Subject

Author Index

Keyword Index

About Journal

FAQ

Aims and Scope

Editorial Board

Peer Review Process

Indexing and Abstracting

News

Related Links

Climbing the Ladder Sideways: Personality Traits of Non-Traditional CEOs

    Author

    • Jocelyn Sun

    The Spence School, United States of America

,
Articles in Press
10.33844/ijol.2025.60519
  • Article Information
  • Download
  • Export Citation
  • Statistics
  • Share

Abstract

This study investigates how non-traditional CEOs, who often lack conventional business education or elite corporate experience, successfully ascend to executive roles by leveraging distinct emotional and personality traits. Traditional pathways to leadership often prioritize MBAs, finance backgrounds, or time spent at top consulting firms. However, an increasing number of CEOs are emerging from alternative backgrounds, signaling a shift in how organizations define and identify effective leadership. This paper explores how non-traditional executives compensate for gaps in traits such as emotional intelligence, resilience, adaptability, and calculated risk-taking. Using natural language processing techniques such as Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), the study identifies and quantifies recurring personality themes in CEO interviews, statements, and biographies. These traits are then analyzed across variables such as nationality, industry, and company size. The results suggest that successful non-traditional CEOs are not anomalies, but representatives of a broader evolution in organizational leadership. As the COVID-19 pandemic reshapes the business landscape, expectations placed on CEOs are shifting, demanding greater empathy, agility, and visionary thinking. Leaders today are expected not only to deliver financial performance but also to foster internal cohesion, adapt rapidly to uncertainty, and embody values aligned with social responsibility and innovation. Ultimately, this study positions leadership as a dynamic, evolving construct—one that is shaped not solely by what leaders have done, but by how they think, connect, and respond to complexity. It urges organizations to rethink traditional paradigms and to recognize the strategic value of adaptable, emotionally intelligent, and purpose-driven leadership.

Keywords

  • Executive leadership
  • CEO personality traits
  • Non-traditional career paths
  • Post-COVID leadership
  • Human resource strategy

Main Subjects

  • Managers leadership tactics and consequences
  • XML
  • PDF 789.56 K
  • RIS
  • EndNote
  • Mendeley
  • BibTeX
  • APA
  • MLA
  • HARVARD
  • CHICAGO
  • VANCOUVER
    • Article View: 1
International Journal of Organizational Leadership

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 01 July 2025
Files
  • XML
  • PDF 789.56 K
Share
Export Citation
  • RIS
  • EndNote
  • Mendeley
  • BibTeX
  • APA
  • MLA
  • HARVARD
  • CHICAGO
  • VANCOUVER
Statistics
  • Article View: 1

APA

Sun, J. (2025). Climbing the Ladder Sideways: Personality Traits of Non-Traditional CEOs. International Journal of Organizational Leadership, (), 509-332. doi: 10.33844/ijol.2025.60519

MLA

Sun, J. . "Climbing the Ladder Sideways: Personality Traits of Non-Traditional CEOs", International Journal of Organizational Leadership, , , 2025, 509-332. doi: 10.33844/ijol.2025.60519

HARVARD

Sun, J. (2025). 'Climbing the Ladder Sideways: Personality Traits of Non-Traditional CEOs', International Journal of Organizational Leadership, (), pp. 509-332. doi: 10.33844/ijol.2025.60519

CHICAGO

J. Sun, "Climbing the Ladder Sideways: Personality Traits of Non-Traditional CEOs," International Journal of Organizational Leadership, (2025): 509-332, doi: 10.33844/ijol.2025.60519

VANCOUVER

Sun, J. Climbing the Ladder Sideways: Personality Traits of Non-Traditional CEOs. International Journal of Organizational Leadership, 2025; (): 509-332. doi: 10.33844/ijol.2025.60519

  • Home
  • About Journal
  • Editorial Board
  • Submit Manuscript
  • Contact Us
  • Sitemap

News

  • Importance of Listening in the Workplace 2022-06-15
  • What can threaten an organization? 2022-05-16
  • Why are innovation activities important in organizational ... 2022-04-13
  • Social Responsibility and Organizations 2022-04-05
  • To lead change: An essential leadership capability 2022-03-16

 About Publisher

Newsletter Subscription

Subscribe to the journal newsletter and receive the latest news and updates

© Journal Management System. Powered by iJournalPro.com