From Tim Cook to Indra Nooyi | 10 Powerful Business Leaders Known for Their Incredible Work Ethics

Powerful Business Leaders Who Worked Extremely Hard

While climbing the ladder of success doesn't only depend on working hard, there's no denial in the fact that a major chunk of it depends on your willingness to work the fingers to the bone. Apart from the natural talent that the greatest leaders have in their respective fields, it's also the zest to work hard that these personalities have in common. Here are 10 Personalities who were known for their work ethics and who have given us inspiring stories and proved yet again that Hard indeed pays off...Let's begin...

1. Tim Cook

Tim Cook is known for working around the clock whenever Apple launches another product or the next software update. It's been reported that the Apple CEO stays at the HQ until the early hours and even starts sending official emails at 4:30 a.m. Cook has been running day-to-day operations since he was appointed the CEO after Steve Jobs. Cook is also one of the lesser-paid CEOs even after being the CEO of the highest-revenue generating company currently. As of 2023, Tim Cook's net worth is around  $1.9 billion.

2. Mary Barra

Barra is an advocate of the thought, "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard" as per People Management. Barra started at the very bottom of General Motors at the age of 18 and she spent half the year inspecting parts at a Pontiac plant, as per Fortune. She works her way through sheer hard work. According to The Financial Times report, all of her colleagues recall her being the first to enter the office and was available till late at night. Her dedication was rewarded when she was named GM's first-ever female CEO in 2014. As of 2023, her net worth is $39 million. 

3. Mark Cuban

Cuban reportedly did not vacation for seven years while starting his first business. He sold his first company at the peak of its value and got into technology stocks at the right time. He made it possible through sheer hard work and writes in his blog that it took incredible amounts of hard work to benefit from his "luck." He used to routinely stay up till 2 a.m. working and reading about new software. As of 2023, Mark Cuban's net worth is somewhere around, $5.1 billion.

4. Jeff Bezos

Jeff Bezos is known for his relentless work ethic. In the early days at Amazon, he worked for more than 12 hours, seven days a week. He reportedly used to stay up until 3 a.m. Today, when Amazon has reached great heights, he still takes emails personally and attends to major customer issues. Most of his ethics have been talked about in an excerpt from Brad Stone's book, "The Everything Store". As of 2023, Jeff Bezos's net worth is around $114 billion. 

5. Carlos Ghosn

Carlos Ghosn was running two of the major automakers Nissan and Renault. He reportedly worked for 65 hours a week and spent 48 hours a month in the air and flying more than 150,000 miles a year. He is known for saving Nissan and turning the company around. It is now the subject of many case studies. Within a month of his taking over he deployed a system that solved the root problems and helped the company in many ways. As of 2023, Carlos Ghosn's net worth is somewhere around $60 million.

6. Li Ka-Shing

One of the richest men in the continent of Asia is Li Ka-Shing who is a dominant figure in Hong Kong. He had dropped out of school by the age of 15 and started working in a plastic factory. He once told Forbes that he quickly became a salesman and outsold everybody else in the factory. He soon became the GM at the age of 19. Later in the year 1950, he started his own plastics business and was known to do almost everything himself, starting from accounting to HR. As of 2023, his net worth is somewhere around $35.3 billion. 

7. Sheryl Sandberg

The former COO of Meta, Sheryl Sandberg set an incredible example when it came to time management and is known to do a lot of the work on her own. She was highly successful in leading the company from the front. Sandberg is also a published author. She is one of the most famous advocates in the world for women in the workplace. As of 2023, Sheryl Sandberg's net worth is somewhere around, US $1.7 billion. 

8. Michael Jordan

The legendary basketball player has incredible natural gifts but he is also a very hard worker. It's been reported that when Jordan first joined the game, his jump was not good enough but he spent days perfecting it. In a blog on the NBA's official site, Phil Jackson, his longtime coach writes, that his defining characteristics were his humility and the fact that he knew that he had to work constantly to become the best. As of 2023, Michael Jordan's net worth is somewhere around $3 billion. 

9. Marissa Mayer

Marissa Mayer is known for her incredible work schedule and also her stamina. She used to work for 130 hours a week when she was working at Google. People around her have reported that she is capable of working 24 hours, seven days a week. She is known for her work ethic and pulls off all-nighters like nothing. She is often tagged as the hardest-working CEO in Silicon Valley, by her peers. As of 2023, her net worth is close to $600 million.

10. Indra Nooyi

Indra Nooyi is one of the most powerful and well-known women in business and worked from 5 a.m. to midnight. She was the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of PepsiCo. Nooyi also worked very hard when she was at Yale trying to get a degree. Even today she wakes up at 4 a.m. and said that working till midnight is not uncommon in her life. Nooyi once mentioned that she had to compromise as a parent several times in the past due to her tight schedule. As of 2023, Indra Nooyi's net worth is close to $350 million.