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In Washington, CEOs, presidents, executive directors, and other head honchos at trade associations, professional societies, think tanks, interest groups, and labor unions love to get credit for their groups' successes, and they typically relish the opportunity to be top-ranked for an accomplishment.

But when it comes to talking to National Journal about its biennial salary survey, many executives want to run the other way. Yet, many also seek out the issue to see how they stack up against their colleagues and competitors in the pay and benefits department. One CEO of a leading health-related association recently called us to inquire about the publication date of our survey -- the executive was scheduled to begin salary negotiations with the board of directors and wanted to study the data for possible ammunition.

This love-hate relationship is understandable: Most people don't want the whole world to know their salary. But being the top executive at a nonprofit means that your pay is public, and the numbers provide a useful window into the workings of the organization, how much it values its leader, and what its members think he or she can do for them in Washington.

So, how do CEOs really feel about the salary survey story? We asked, and a few brave and honest souls decided to share their thoughts. Here is a sampling.

"I feel flattered to be in the company of people who are as successful as those on your list." Jerry Howard, executive vice president and CEO of the National Association of Home Builders

"It's a voyeur's dream. People go for it as soon as it hits the pavement." Steve Anderson, president and CEO of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores and former head of the National Restaurant Association

"We all hate the story. We read it, but we hate a story when it's about our salary." Tracy Mullin, president and CEO of the National Retail Federation

"It seems like our ranking is appropriate for what we do here." Marc Racicot, president of the American Insurance Association, and a former governor of Montana and former chairman of the Republican National Committee

"Your salary survey has given real insight to people and provided more transparency to something that had been a mystery. A lot of people have benefited." Craig Fuller, executive vice president of APCO Worldwide and former president and CEO of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores

"I never looked at the salary of the previous CEO. I knew where I was and where I needed to go." John Gray, president and CEO of the Healthcare Distribution Management Association

"I don't think about it. This isn't a horse race with me." Thomas Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce