FORTUNE Small Business' October issue highlights five leaders from Winning Workplaces 2006 list of Best Bosses, it was announced today.

The fourth annual list from Winning Workplaces includes 18 dedicated, passionate, and driven business leaders representing such diverse fields as investment management, equestrian products, web hosting, and legal services. FSB's "Better Bosses" article appears in the October issue of FSB and at FSB.com.

Elaine Pofeldt, senior editor of FORTUNE Small Business, notes the wide range of Best Bosses' attributes and the common-sense practices they promote. "They are listening carefully to their workers and giving them what they want: opportunities to educate themselves continually; the chance to work alongside the best people in their fields; benefits that ease the complex demands of their lives outside of work and a chance to give back to the community in more than a token way. These bosses know how to recognize their teams' achievements in creative and memorable ways."

FORTUNE Small Business highlights five Best Bosses:

- Mellody Hobson, ariel Capital Management, Chicago, IL
- Graham Weston, Rackspace Managed Hosting, San Antonio, TX
- Paal Gisholt, SmartPak Equine, Plymouth, MA
- David Williams, Merkle, Lanham, MD
- Richard Caturano, Vitale Caturano, Boston, MA

A key theme among this year's Best Bosses-17 from commercial companies and one from a non-profit-is finding memorable ways to reward employees for providing extraordinary service to clients. Extending benefits such as gourmet dinners or keys to the boss' car, as two of this year's leaders are doing, help breed worker loyalty.

The benefit that matters most to employees is a piece of the action. Of the 18 honorees, 14 run companies that are partly or fully worker-owned. That reflects a broader trend: the National Center for Employee ownership reports that an estimated 9,225 companies offer ESOPs, stock bonus plans, and profit-sharing plans as of July, up from 7,600 in 1999.

The full list of Best Bosses is available at winningworkplaces.org.