Researchers at the Donald Costello College of Business have identified another factor behind the success of Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg: all three are left-handed. The study found that left-handed people are more likely to rise to the highest ranks of their careers and accumulate significant wealth.
The research team reached their conclusions after analyzing the career records of 1,008 top executives from 472 companies worldwide.
They found a link between these leaders’ left-handedness and their achievements, especially in groundbreaking innovation and higher company profits.
“Factors such as family background, genetics, academic education, career path, and many others can influence a CEO’s decisions; in fact, a lot shapes them into who they are,” said Professor Long Chen, the lead author of the study.
Scientists Had Already Suspected Left-Handers Achieve More
Earlier work had hinted at a link between left-handedness and achievement. In 2017, researchers found that left-handers performed better in dynamic sports. A 2019 study, reported by the Daily Mail, suggested left-handers have stronger verbal skills.
However, the connection between a top executive’s success and whether they are left- or right-handed remained unclear. To uncover the link, researchers closely examined photographs and videos of CEOs writing, playing sports, painting, and eating.
“We looked at their photos on the golf course, for instance, to see how they held their clubs. We also noted which wrist they wore their watches on; left-handers often wear them on their right wrist,” said Professor Jun Woo Pak, a co-author of the study.
The vast majority of participants (91.4 percent) were right-handed, 7.9 percent were left-handed, and 0.7 percent were mixed-handed.
Next, the team analyzed company performance from 1992 to 2015 for the CEOs in the sample, accounting for company characteristics and executive traits linked to innovativeness. They found that companies led by left-handed CEOs showed higher levels of innovation, more unique patents, and significantly better asset profitability.
Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg are far from the only highly successful left-handers. Others include John D. Rockefeller, Henry Ford, Oprah Winfrey, Louis Gerstner, Steve Forbes, and many more.
