Aussie leaders a fun loving bunch

A study undertaken by US company Hogan Assessment Systems which compares American and Australian CEOs has found that Americans are "more conservative and buttoned down", while Aussies are "more fun-loving and risk-taking".

The comparison was made between 55 Australian CEOs (almost a quarter of whom were women) and over 8000 US leaders, using three personality assessment tools.

Australians also score higher in the areas of hedonism and social engagement and thus appear to be more "fun loving." The Americans scored higher on valuing learning for the sake of learning, while the Australians prefer their learning to have a more practical application.

The study also suggested that compared to the U.S. business leaders, Australian CEOs placed greater value on team building skills, leadership and strategic thinking while being more focused on business and less interested in abstract discussions of theory and strategy.

Meanwhile, Australians have a greater sense of urgency and willingness to learn from mistakes and are more willing to confront problem performers and to disagree with their bosses.