塞缪尔•艾伦

    公司：约翰迪尔

    《财富》500强排名：85

    这家农用机械公司足足有176年的历史，但艾伦只是它第9位CEO，而且他也并不是第一位把一生都奉献给公司的领导人。37年前，艾伦在大学管理课上被公司选中，成为公司的工业工程师。艾伦几乎曾就职于约翰迪尔的每一个部门和每一个业务部——他认为自己在公司的成功和2009年被任命为CEO都应归功于经历的多样化。对于长期在一家公司工作，他的观点是：“你最后对公司会有更深刻的理解，也更清楚要想持续有好的表现需要付出什么。”另外一个优势：他与同事建立了贯穿整个职业生涯的关系。他们总是能给他提供诚恳公正的反馈，即使他已经贵为CEO。

Samuel Allen

    Company: John Deere

    Fortune 500 rank: 85

    Only the 9th CEO in the farm equipment company's 176-year history, Allen is hardly the first 'lifer' to lead John Deere. He joined the company 37 years ago as an industrial engineer after being recruited from his college management class. Allen has worked in every division and almost every business unit at Deere—a diversity of experience that he credits for his success at the company and promotion to CEO in 2009. "You end up having many more insights into the business and what it takes for sustained high performance," he says of being a lifer. Another plus: He's developed career-long relationships with colleagues who are comfortable giving him candid feedback, even though he is the CEO.