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The Working Supervisor's Support Kit is a collection of information and tools to help working supervisors do a better job. It's based on what Wally's learned in over twenty years of supervisory skills training.

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Yes, it must be true. It's in Time magazine after all. Here's the lead to Time's story titled "Can Looks Predict a Successful CEO?"

"In a recent study, college students were asked to rate headshots of the CEOs of 50 Fortune 1000 companies. Based on measures like competence and trustworthiness — and with no prior knowledge of the executives —study participants could distinguish between the successful (Warren Buffett, left) and less successful (Bill Ford, right) CEOs."

There is so much silliness in this story and the underlying research conclusions that it's hard to decide where to begin. Don't be distracted by the whirring sound. That's Henry Luce spinning in his grave. Let's start with what was actually rated.

College students looked at black and white headshot pictures of 50 CEOs of large companies. Doesn't that strike you as a teeny-tiny sample?

One hundred college students did the rating. Doesn't that strike you as a teeny-tiny panel?

The students rated the CEOs on personality traits based on the pictures alone. If they recognized a CEO, the rating wasn't counted. No doubt any college student who asked, "Are you nuts or what?" when confronted with the task was asked to leave and forfeit any compensation for participation.

Then there's the "science" of it all. Time informs us that "The study controlled for the CEOs' age, emotional expression and attractiveness." Now, how exactly do you even measure emotional expression or attractiveness, let alone control for them?

Then there's the big, big question. What are we supposed to do with this? Should we start selecting CEOs based on looks alone? For some companies that might improve their track record, but I think most boards would prefer some measure of performance.

I just thought of another question. Who funded this study? Maybe some investigative reporter will discover that it was secretly funded by the cosmetic surgeon's trade group, the same folks offering Botox (that's botulism toxin) shots at a mall near you.

Just think, a board could pick just anyone as CEO and then send that person off for plastic surgery to give him or her a face that radiates "competence, dominance and facial maturity." If you believe this nonsense, that would lead to increased company success at a cost far below that of the average severance package.

Wally's Working Supervisor's Support Kit is a collection of information and tools to help working supervisors do a better job. It's based on what Wally's learned in over twenty years of supervisory skills training. Click here to check it out.

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Wally Bock has helped people learn to be great bosses for more than a quarter century. His latest book, Performance Talk: The One-on-One Part of Leadership, makes learning key leadership principles almost effortless by teaching through a story and providing lists of resources for further growth.

Click here to find out more about Wally's coaching services.

For weekly tips and resources pointers, check our Wally Bock's Three Star Leadership Letter.

Click here to find out more about having Wally speak to your company or convention.