CEO STORY
INSIDE the CEO brain
22
Brain scans could reveal who makes a good CEO, a team of scientists led by a British businessman has revealed. Sir John Madejski has undergone a series of scans at the University of Reading to try to work out if science can be applied to the study of leadership. A group of neurologists, psychologists and management at the UK university are collaborating for the study to examine the brains of chief executives and leaders in other fields such as military or voluntary organisations. Inside the scanner Sir John Madejski, an entrepreneur who owns a string of businesses and a football club, completed a series of tests, pressing a keypad to measure his brain activity. The results of this test and a number of others will be aggregated to try to draw out some lessons, the BBC reported. Madejski hopes to persuade other business tycoons to undergo similar tests. Earlier this year scientists claimed brain scans could also help people choose their career paths. Researchers used an MRI scanner to study the brains of 40 volunteers seeking career guidance. They then compared the results to the participant’s ability to do different tasks. The results, from the University of California, showed that the amount of grey matter – parts of the brain used for storing information – showed how good the volunteer was at different tasks. Using technology to examine what makes a good leader is nothing new, with organisations for many decades using psychometric testing to help choose candidates for senior positions, and to try to find out what makes a good leader. But psychometrics is a controversial science as some critics suggest it makes claims that cannot be substantiated.
Psychometric testing Psychometric testing is used by more than two thirds of medium-to-large employers on prospective graduates. However, at least 5% of graduates have admitted to cheating, with another 17% saying they would cheat if they knew how to get away with it. (Source: PRWeb UK)
Upfront.indd 22
07/12/2010 15:03