The recent news that Costco Wholesale CEO Jim Sinegal plans to retire next year brought back a flood of memories for me. I covered the company for nearly 7 years as part of a full-time retail beat at Seattle's regional weekly business paper.
For me, Sinegal always seemed like one of the good guys -- an outstanding example of how to be a CEO. He played a major role in building Costco into the third-largest retailer in the country, creating a model that rewards workers handsomely even while competitors cut benefits.
Here are five CEO traits Sinegal has that I wish more business leaders would acquire:
- Use your products. Sinegal is often clad in one of Costco's $17 dress shirts, long a ... Read more