The biggest leap an executive can make in his career is to be bestowed with the title of Chief Executive Officer (CEO). While anyone who starts their own company or climbs the corporate ladder can hold this position, it takes an exceptional leader to embody what it truly means to be a CEO.
This greatly coveted title is more than just ‘calling the shots.’ Becoming a CEO is all about earning the respect of the people you work with and inspiring your entire organization to give their best for the betterment of the company.
What also makes it a remarkable transition is the complexity of the role, and the skills required to manage those successfully. So, what do CEOs have that others in the organization still don’t?
Vision
Clarity of Vision, and the road to get to the goal is the starting point. The Vision, is the blueprint on which a successful company builds its foundation. An effective CEO never loses sight of the vision when steering the company in the direction of growth. Even when challenges and obstacles keep showing up, a good CEO is always able to find the solution in keeping with the core values and Vision of the organization, thus always staying on course.
Communication
Because leaders are primarily concerned by the future, no one can predict outcomes better than those who make up the company. This means that CEOs must not only be good at assembling a team together, but also in guiding and mentoring members of the group.
Wisdom
Wisdom is a distinguishing capability of leaders. A CEO needs to have the ability to look into the future and grasp what it all means, to understand how things work, and to discover how the company can become a better place.
Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
Business can be considered a team sport. Therefore managing your emotions, along with acknowledging and influencing those of others is crucial for every CEO. Emotions are highly correlated with productivity and performance hence leaders should be able to adapt to any situation with their emotional intelligence.
Competence
A leader needs to understand three things: the organization and its values, the target audience and what it values, and the competition and its opportunities and weaknesses. Efficient CEOs are well-versed in finance, sales and marketing, resource allocation, operations, trade-offs, and the law.
Managers are required to be good at analysis, but CEOs are expected to excel at synthesis. They must have enough sense about the complete details in order to approve its execution. Remember, to know is one thing; to do is another.
There are other factors that contribute to the qualifications of an effective CEO like experience, but these basic traits will help you get ahead of the curve. If you need help in improving personal skills, an efficient business consultant can aid you grow personally and professionally.