Most Trusted Advisor: CEOs Choose Spouses

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Business leaders rely on their spouses for much more than just support when running a company.

For many CEOs and business owners, their wives and husbands are the first people they turn to for advice when making major decisions, according to a new study from the staffing firm Adecco. Specifically, nearly 40 percent of CEOs and business owners said the opinions of their spouse matter most to them when making big business decisions.

Joyce Russell, president of Adecco Staffing U.S., said that while CEOs and business owners may have people inside their companies to lean on and confide in, spouses hold a very special role.  

"You look towards your spouse as the one person that will always have your best interest at heart, and in many cases, the spouse has watched the progression towards the top, so he or she understands the variables at play," Russell told Business News Daily. "A spouse can be someone to discuss ideas or decisions off of without judgment or agenda. If you're in a partnership with someone, you hold their thoughts and opinions very highly."

Russell said an outside perspective can be a very good thing if you trust the opinions of the person you're speaking with­. That includes business peers, consultants and spouses.

"However, that being said, it shouldn't be the only opinion to take into consideration when making decisions," Russell said. "A smart leader is someone who can see, hear and understand multiple angles to a challenge."

In the study, business leaders and owners also said that some departments play more of a role in the success of their organization than others. More than 40 percent of the business owners and CEOs surveyed attribute the financial success of their companies to customer service and sales staff over any other groups.

Russell said high-powered sales and customer service teams are essential parts of all high-performing organizations.

"Companies need to deliver on the promises and commitments made by the sales team," she said. "Customer service never goes out of style, and in the end, great service always wins and helps to maintain and grow strong relationships."

Knowing what a valuable role the sales and customer service teams play, many businesses plan to add employees in those areas in the coming months. The research found that of those planning to increase headcount next year, 51 percent intend to do so for customer service and sales personnel.

The study was based on surveys of 500 business owners and CEOs living in the United States.