How to Be a Good CEO
Becoming a CEO doesn't happen overnight. CEOs work their way through the ranks and rise to the top thanks to a combination of hard work, perseverance, and traits and qualities that make him or her a top-notch business leader.
Being a Great CEO
1. Understand
what a CEO does.
The CEO of a company isn't necessarily the founder or
even the owner; a CEO isn't quite the same thing as an entrepreneur. A CEO
isn't a mere bookkeeper or office monkey, though, either. Rather, the CEO's job
is to run the company: oversee financial decisions, resolve imbalances,
and keep things on track for more profitability each and every year. This means
a great CEO is a combination of an ideas person (like an entrepreneur), willing
to take risks and think big; and a hands-on person, eagle-eyed in matters of
money and human resources, always willing to dig into the details until
everything is perfect.
2.
Rely on experience.
Most CEOs attain their position after
many years – sometimes decades – in the same industry, or even at the same
company. Once you reach the top, don't forget your roots. Use all that you know
about your business (or area of business) to run it as efficiently as possible:
differences between written policy and practical “ground rules;” connections
who can give you insight into places you're no longer closely connected to;
attitudes and beliefs among low-level employees about the business.
3. Lead with
vision.
To be a truly great CEO, you must exercise control
over your company by shaping the workplace environment to be one that has a
distinct and palpable culture. In other words, a great leader creates a sense
among his or her employees that they are a part of something truly special,
something bigger and more significant than any one part of the whole. Your
attitude and actions towards your workforce very clearly set the tempo at every
level of the company.
4. Be
clear-cut.
As a CEO, it's your job to run the entire business.
Though you delegate many of the daily tasks to your subordinates, you're the
one with the bird's-eye view who can see the whole pattern of the company as it
breathes and changes over time. Bearing that in mind, use what you see and know
to communicate your plans and explain your decisions to your workers clearly,
plainly, and openly. If they know what your vision for the company is, they'll
have a much easier time helping you to realize that vision.
5. Stay
connected.
Never succumb to the illusion that the CEO lives and
works in an ivory tower while the rest of the business goes on below, guided by
distant edicts from on high. An effective CEO is always in the thick of things:
visiting every department, assisting with any task he or she is qualified to
assist with, speaking to employees and listening to their feedback. A part of
your time is necessarily spent at the top, planning ahead and thinking in broad
terms, but the rest of your time should be spent in the thick of the action.
6.
Embody strategy.
Above all else, once you become a CEO,
your business is the future of the company. You must be adept at thinking six
moves ahead, seeing around the next corner, and guessing what the future will
hold. Stay abreast of trends and always think about your company's place in the
business world at large. How can you stay king of the hill? If you're not, how can
you knock the other schmoe out of the top spot? If these are the questions that
help guide your business strategy, you'll be the most effective CEO you can be.
Source:
http://www.wikihow.com/Be-a-CEO
