• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Leadership

Two Models For Leadership

Alan Murray
By
Alan Murray
Alan Murray
Down Arrow Button Icon
Alan Murray
By
Alan Murray
Alan Murray
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 9, 2016, 7:40 AM ET
USA-ELECTION/TRUMP
Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a campaign rally in Warren, Michigan, March 4, 2016. REUTERS/Carlos Barria - RTS9BR8Photograph by Carlos Barria — Reuters

Donald Trump scored impressive victories in Michigan, Mississippi and Hawaii yesterday, turning out record numbers of primary voters, and topping the day with an extraordinary press conference denouncing his detractors in the press and the party, defending his business success, and touting at least nine different Trump-branded properties and products in the process. Bernie Sanders delivered a painful, but not fatal, blow to Hillary Clinton by winning the Michigan primary.

Meanwhile, a new Wall Street Journal/NBC news poll shows the ugly primary campaigns have taken a toll on all the candidates. Two-thirds of registered voters say they couldn’t see themselves supporting Trump in November; 56% say they couldn’t cast a ballot for Clinton. Indeed, majorities say they couldn’t support five of the remaining six contenders, with Kasich being the only exception. Is “none of the above” an option?

In sharp contrast, FORTUNE last night hosted three CEOs whose companies made the top ten of our 100 Best Companies to Work For list, and who all demonstrated low-key, humble, employee-centric, non-Trump-like leadership styles: Danny Wegman of Wegmans Food Markets (#4 on our list); Jim Goodnight of SAS (#8) and Jim Weddle of Edward Jones (#10).

Here are my three takeaways from their comments on how to create a great workplace culture:

Show you care. “If you treat people like they make a difference, they will make a difference,” says Goodnight.

Perks and pay matter. SAS was a model for Google’s (#1) perk paradise. Wegman provides scholarships to many of its high school employees. Edward Jones distributes half its operating income to employees through bonuses and profit sharing.

It helps not to have shareholders. All three companies, and a majority on our list, are not publicly held companies.

I’m on my way to San Francisco for tonight’s Brainstorm Tech dinner with Steve Ballmer. Today’s recommended reading: Michal Lev-Ram’s piece on the fast-growing big data company Palantir.

Subscribe to CEO Daily, Fortune’s daily newsletter on the top business news of the day.

About the Author
Alan Murray
By Alan Murray
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
Fortune Secondary Logo
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

SuccessCareers
Gen Z women are the new face of unemployment—and it’s not because they’re too choosy. Low grades and bad health are to blame, new research warns
By Orianna Rosa RoyleMarch 5, 2026
19 minutes ago
office
Future of WorkLabor
‘The ideal number of human employees inside of any company is zero’: why AI gives company owners what they think they want
By Nick LichtenbergMarch 5, 2026
2 hours ago
NewslettersCEO Daily
The Iran war is giving rise to a centuries-old economic theory—and laying waste to the WTO-based world order
By Diane BradyMarch 5, 2026
4 hours ago
vradenburg
CommentaryBrain
Poor brain health costs the world economy $5 trillion a year. The world is waking up to the crisis
By George VradenburgMarch 5, 2026
5 hours ago
President Trump
Personal FinanceRetirement
Trump’s new 401(k) match collides with a harsh reality: More workers are dipping into their retirement cash just to get by
By Jake AngeloMarch 5, 2026
8 hours ago
erik
Future of WorkRobots
Top AI economist who found ‘significant and disproportionate impact’ on entry-level jobs finds link between robots and minimum wage hikes
By Nick LichtenbergMarch 4, 2026
15 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Health
Palantir and other tech companies are stocking offices with tobacco products to increase worker productivity
By Catherina GioinoMarch 4, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Uber CEO says his ‘really demanding’ work culture includes expecting employees to answer his emails over the weekend: ‘Don’t come here if you want to coast’
By Emma BurleighMarch 4, 2026
21 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Real Estate
Meet a burned out 28-year-old who pays $168 a month in China's faux Venice to retire early from her Shanghai finance gig
By Albee Zhang and The Associated PressMarch 2, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Cybersecurity
Cities join Amazon in cutting ties with license-plate reader Flock following Ring's Super Bowl ad—that Flock 'didn't have anything to do with'
By Catherina GioinoMarch 3, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of March 3, 2026
By Danny BakstMarch 3, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Tech investor Bill Gurley says workers who went through the ‘college conveyor belt’ and chased safe jobs are at high risk of AI automation
By Emma BurleighMarch 3, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.