Calibre of a Successful CEO

Some say that leaders are born. They were, till a while back. Today, they become one. And in most successful cases, all by themselves!

For those of you wanting to make it a mark as a successful CEO, know for a fact that the following are some of the qualities a person needs to be deemed successful.

Learning from the Past 

The past, how-much-so-ever painful, teaches a thing or two about life and how situations should be handled. For someone with CEO ambitions, this is a serious must-have given that most persons go thru a lot before they come anywhere near being a CEO. With experience comes knowledge and from knowledge comes foresight and a 6^th sense about situations ane which way they may turn. Nothing in the future comes without a past. And not acknowledging and learning from the past is the best way to take care of the future.

Effective Communicate  

Communication, in the case of a CEO goes beyond mere good language and interpersonal skills. It means having the innate ability to know what to say to whom, when, where and why! A flaw-less piece at the wrong time makes all the flowery stuff pretty grave-like! The ability to understand the context, the audience, and the circumstances is very, very important to any form of communication, written, verbal or gestural. A CEO goes throught situations a person above and below may not understand or appreciate. That being the case, it is important to think like a CEO and communicate well with every level and strata of the organization.

A Radically Different Perspective 

A CEO remains an essential bridge between the shareholders and owners of an enterprise on the one hand and its various departments and their head, on the other. Both these sides have their respective characteristics and objectives, be it known or unknown. For the owners, its profitability that’s important. For the employees down below at every level, its survival and growth that precedes everything. Due to this, the CEO who forms the link between such disparate elements needs to have the ability to think radically removed from existing thoughts and ideas so that the main objectives of both owners and employees is met and they prosper. Radically different thoughts could be in terms of starting a different line of products, closing down an existing line of products, shifting plant and machinery to different locations, keeping, promoting or reducing manpower, taking finances from new sources etc to name a few. Thinking traditional and thinking growth can sometimes clash with disastrous results. In fact, a CEO with a very traditional mindset could be perceived as being risk-averse.

Establishing Meaningful Relationships 

A CEO has to have the ability to create great working relations with all those (s)he get in touch with, be it within or outside the organization. Since it is his/ her priority to get the job done, forming meaningful relations is a must. The ability to get along with everyone in the organization, oversee things and get the job done under every circumstance is a great way to grow and prosper for the self and for the organization. Meaningful relation here shouldn’t be construed to be pleasing everyone just to get along but to have the ability to make people perform to the best of their abilities while contributing to the organization’s goals and growth.

Adapt Situations & People 

When India opened it’s economy in 1991, those who wanted change were the ones who grew as compared to those who belonged to the old school of thoughts who weren’t used to changes so fast and so humongous. Organization upon organization just collapsed and so did people’s career given that they just couldn’t survive in a situation where the government didn’t intervent to say the organization. Without the ability to take independent decisions, these CEOs/ Owners simply wilted under the onslaught of tough, unrelenting competition. Compare them with today where a generation of CEOs stand ready to take on competition fully in the face and in most cases, win and grow. This is precisely adaptability to situations.

Creating Efficient Managers 

No-one anywhere, be it a business organization or even a family of 4 ever grow without the ability to delegate. To delegate is to give responsibility to accomplish tasks and in the process, learn newer aspects of working and running an organization. A CEO is expected to lead an organization on multiple fronts, and achieve success in almost all. This is simply impossible where the person refuses to give up the existing set of responsibilities so as to take up newer ones. One HAS to thus create a second line of managers/ senior managers who would take up the existing work of such a person while that person goes on to the next level.

Leading Optimistically 

Dreamers never made great CEOs. Realists and positive one, did. And that’s because the realists knew what exactly needed to be done to go to the next level in growth, both of the organization, and the person. Remaining optimistic of good things happening is an essential to feel charged-up and optimistic, as this is the feeling which finally helps win especially in tough times when things around don’t seem to be going right. A person who can see afar in a ralistics manner invariably finds reasons to remain positive because in the long run, most problems ease out- provided one is ready to see situation in the correct light.

Empathise 

The ability to understand one’s reasons to have acted in a certain way is important to stand by people and situations. Empathising one’s sitation is this important and shall give the future CEO the ability to read people’s motives to take the decision to either be with such persons or move on. The best example of this ability is the CEO’s understanding of why sales do not increase in a tight economic condition. By understanding the reason, one can be expected to be with people during the latter’s highs and lows, suggest things and bring situations to change drastically.

Right Source

A CEO is nothing if he/ she refuses to listen to people within and outside the organization. With an ear close to the ground, the CEO can read the future much before it actually takes place and take decisive actions to avert unwanted and unwelcome situations. On the contrart, the ability to look at twigs in the wind, and read the future is something which lets a CEO make the most of an existing or potential situation. There are always those in the organization who know way beyond their position and situation. Knowing such individuals and keeping them close helps the CEO take the organization to newer heights.

Meaningful Risks

Nothing in the world comes without its share of risks. One cannot avoid risks without ruining the chance of growth. Growth and risks are thus intervowen. In fact, growth is the product of taking calculated risks which may either get stupendous growth or complete ruin. The CEO designate thus ought to have the ability and stomach to take a risk which may go either ways. If the gamble pays, the CEO’s standing grows. If not, such a person and organization may have to take a hit. How much of a hit is acceptable, is for the CEO to know, appreciate and accept.