Korn Ferry research finds that there are plenty of qualified CEO successors who are ambivalent or even opposed to stepping into the CEO’s role. Nearly a third of those who were put through a CEO leadership simulation by Korn Ferry expressed such sentiments.

Why? The answer lies in drivers, which are the individual needs, values, and interests of executives that affect their career decisions. Among those who want to be CEO, there is clear evidence of their desire to influence strategy, the direction of the organization, and even the shape of a whole industry.