That’s not the question posed by a time.com article.  Rather, the question is:  “Can looks predict a successful CEO?”  According to a study by Tufts University psychologists published recently in Psychological Science, the answer to the question is yes.  The psychologists asked 100 study participants to rate actual executives on personality traits and how well they thought the executives would lead a company.  The rating was based solely on the study participants viewing black-and-while headshots of the executives.  I’m not making this up.

Of course, the study controlled for certain things that could cause the participants to be biased (yeah, right) and threw out data from participants who recognized any of the executives.  One of the executives who rated high was Warren Buffett, which means that some of the 100 study participants didn’t recognize Buffett.  Who are these people?

Now to the nitty gritty results.  Executives who appear powerful and “leaderlike” are more likely to run profitable companies.  By contrast, CEOs who seem likeable or trustworthy are more likely to run a company into the ground.  How did the survey participants know that an executive appeared powerful?  He demonstrated (in the picture) competence, dominance (dominance!) and facial maturity.  How did the survey participants know that an executive appeared merely likeable or trustworthy?  His picture demonstrated warmth.  One of the study’s co-authors gives a warning to boards of directors:  “There’s no relationship between how trustworthy a person seems and how well the company does.”

One wonders if the suvey participants were shown mug shots of Ken Lay, Jeffrey Skillings, Andy Fastow, Bernie Ebbers, Sam Waksal, Dennis Kozlowski, John Rigas and Conrad Black.  Did they exude trustworthiness or power?  Were they warm or dominant?

I understand the Tufts psychologists, having put this matter to bed, are now working on a study where young men rate women they would like to marry and partner with to replenish the earth–based only on their pictures, of course.  I’ve got to believe that Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Nichole Richie and Amy Winehouse will rise to the top.

Thanks to Tufts and its psychologists and thanks to Time for perpetuating a stereotype that’s been so helpful to our society.